Once you've obtained credit, it's easy to be overwhelmed. You may overspend, become ill, or lose your job, making it impossible to pay all your bills. This nonprofit organization counsels consumers who are in debt. A counselor will try to arrange a repayment plan between you and your creditors, and will help you set up a realistic budget and plan expenditures.
Some consumers turn to companies which claim they can fix credit problems.
You need not pay someone else to learn what is in your file or to correct inaccurace information. See the Credit Reports section in this brochure for more information about how to get and correct information in your credit file. Under the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act and the state law RCW 19.182, consumer reporting agencies may keep correct and verifiable information in your file for seven years, and ten years in the case of bankruptcy. Under Washington's law relating to judgments, a judgment can remain on your report for a ten-year period after it is entered. If the judgment is renewed, it can remain for an additional ten-year period.