Foreword xv Introduction 1 Part 1: Getting Started with Credit Repair 7 Chapter 1: Introducing Credit Repair, Credit Scores, and Your Life on Credit 9 Chapter 2: Turning Your Credit Around 27 Chapter 3: Cleaning Up Your Credit Reports 43 Chapter 4: Getting the Best Help for Bad Credit for Free 63 Chapter 5: Coping with Debt Collection 77 Chapter 6: Working with Collectors, Lawyers, and the Courts to Manage Debt Obligations 103 Part 2: Reducing Credit Damage From Major Setbacks 123 Chapter 7: Reducing Credit Damage in a Crisis 125 Chapter 8: Filing for and Recovering from Bankruptcy 151 Chapter 9: Repairing Credit Damage in the Wake of Identity Theft. 171 Part 3: Rebuilding Credit, No Matter Where Or When You Begin 183 Chapter 10: Starting or Restarting Your Credit in Real Life. 185 Chapter 11: Ending Life's Negative Credit Surprises 207 Chapter 12: Protecting Your Credit during Major Life Challenges 221 Part 4: Making Sense of Credit Reporting And Scoring 253 Chapter 13: Discovering How Credit Reporting Works 255 Chapter 14: Understanding Credit Reports and Scores 271 Chapter 15: Monitoring Your Credit Reports and Scores 305 Part 5: Successfully Managing Your Credit for Life 317 Chapter 16: Putting Yourself in Control of Your Credit 319 Chapter 17: Taking a Sustainable Approach to Your Credit 327 Chapter 18: Safeguarding Your Credit with a Spending Plan 339 Chapter 19: Fair Access to Credit 365 Chapter 20: Knowing Your Rights to Protect Your Credit 377 Chapter 21: Protecting Your Identity 397 Part 6: the Part of Tens 417 Chapter 22: Ten Consumer Protections Everyone Needs to Know 419 Chapter 23: Ten Strategies for Dealing with Student Loans 429 Chapter 24: Ten Ways to Deal with a Mortgage Meltdown 439 Index 449.