Apr 1, 2020
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Bad credit can happen to anyone.
“No one would give me credit or even consider my application,” says Rachel, a single mom from Ohio who didn't even know she had credit problems.
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“My credit history was never something I thought could be helped,” says Leo, who didn’t know where to turn.
Maybe you’ve been struggling with debt for years and haven’t been able to make a dent. Maybe you missed a few bill payments and didn’t realize there’d be repercussions. Or maybe you were doing everything right, and someone else’s mistake cost you big time.
Rachel’s story has a happy ending, so does Leo’s, and so can yours thanks to a free online service called Credit Sesame that can help you improve your credit score fast.
Read on to find out more about what Credit Sesame did for Rachel, Leo and other real people just like you.
She boosted her low credit score — and avoided disappointing her daughter
When Rachel’s husband passed away unexpectedly, her credit score was the last thing on her mind. She became so focused on taking care of her daughter and managing her own grief that she didn’t notice the bills piling up.
But when she tried to get a credit card to pay for her daughter's summer camp, Rachel was turned down flat.
After the fourth rejection, Rachel was close to giving up hope. But then a friend told her about Credit Sesame’s free credit monitoring service, and she decided to give it a shot.
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"Credit Sesame sent me emails to let me know what was happening with my credit score, usage and debt," says Rachel. "It also showed me how I could control my score by increasing my credit limits, reducing my spending, and paying off the smaller limit cards."
She started to see results within the first month, and in less than a year her credit score shot up by over 400 points. And her daughter did get to have fun at camp.
"My credit score went from a 'don't even ask' score of 286 to a 'how much do you need' score of 723 within 9 months," Rachel says. "I recommend Credit Sesame to ANYONE who needs help."
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They cancelled her credit card without telling her, but Credit Sesame caught it first
Alison’s credit score was great, and bad credit was the furthest thing from her mind. Then her score took an unexpected hit because one of her credit cards got canceled — and the card issuer never told her.
“The issuer of a co-branded credit card closed my account without any warning to me,” she says. “I was not given any written notice to use the card to avoid losing my account; the company simply reported the closure to TransUnion.”
Luckily Alison was already a Credit Sesame user, and Credit Sesame spotted the error before it could do any real damage.
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“Credit Sesame notified me, [which] was beneficial,” she says. “Especially since the credit card issuer did not do their job.”
Credit Sesame regularly checks your credit report for changes and sends you alerts so you can check for any discrepancies or mistakes, which are a lot more common than you might think – according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), 1 in 5 credit reports contains errors.
With Credit Sesame, you won’t have to worry about someone else’s mistake hurting your credit score.
He thought he’d never qualify for a credit card again – now he’s got several
Leo’s financial situation was grim, and he’d pretty much given up hope that he could ever claw his way out of debt.
“I knew it was bad, and would always be bad,” he says.
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On a whim, he decided to see if Credit Sesame could help him get things back on track.
“I took a chance to see what Credit Sesame might do with a low credit score like mine. I was very excited when they told me what to do to increase my credit score.”
Credit Sesame analyzed Leo’s credit report, and gave him personalized feedback on the moves he needed to make to qualify for a credit card.
“They showed me which card to apply for,” he says. “I applied for it and received [approval]. Slowly I applied for the other cards they recommended, and got approved for all of them.”
In less than a year, Credit Sesame helped Leo change his financial outlook completely.
“With their help I learned how to manage my cards,” he says. “My score has gone up by 100 points! Credit Sesame has helped me way more than I ever thought, and for that I am very grateful.”
Read More: Dave Ramsey says this 7-step plan ‘works every single time’ to kill debt, get rich in America — and that ‘anyone’ can do it
Change your credit score, change your life
Credit Sesame turned things around for Rachel, Alison, and Leo, and it can do the same for you.
If your credit could use a boost, or even if you’re just curious, sign up for Credit Sesame today. It’s totally free, and it only takes two minutes to get started.
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Shane is a reporter for MoneyWise. He holds a bachelor’s degree in English Language & Literature from Western University and is a graduate of the Algonquin College Scriptwriting program.
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