There are certain choices that a person makes in their life that end up having a bigger impact than they ever imagined. You may not think that a percentage point here or there could literally change your financial future in the big picture, but that's exactly what can happen. If you're not getting the best rate on your loans, including your biggest loan – your mortgage, then you're leaving so much money on the table. You could have lower monthly payments, and a shorter overall mortgage, and end up paying tens of thousands (or more!) less in interest throughout your lifetime.
The secret?
The secret is that there isn't a secret. Statistically speaking, chances are there is at least one or two errors on your credit report that are impacting your score. It's more common for there to be errors than for there not to be, since reporting agencies and financial institutions basically have free reign over your report until you actually check it and start correcting their mistakes. Unfortunately, it's not as easy as just calling them up and saying “Hey, you're wrong about this, fix it.” There's a whole process to it, it's a whole ordeal.
That's why companies that assist you in fixing your credit, like Ovation, are so useful. They deal with the credit bureaus on a regular basis, they know the most common mistakes to look for, they know which mistakes being corrected will make the biggest impact on improving your credit score, and they just handle it for you. It's one less thing on your plate to worry about it.
There could be things like incorrect addresses and typos, or even debts that have gone to collections that have nothing to do with you at all, just a complete error. Ovation aims to help their clients remove and correct all of the negative and incorrect items on your credit score. They work ethically and within the laws, and with a focus on providing excellent guidance and customer service to everyone who chooses to use them.
Quick Facts about Ovation Credit Services
- They opened their doors in 2004, but their experienced staff have been involved in the industry before that.
- They've been averaging 19 credit report improvements for each client since 2004. The amount that these 19 improvements impact each credit score will vary, since each score is unique, however if there are 19 negative things on your credit report – getting those taken care of is a huge, huge positive.
- They pride themselves on having excellent customer service and being held in high-regard from their current, and past, clients.
- They work with LendingTree, WisePiggy, and TransUnion in order to bring accurate, insightful reports and information to their clients.
- They care about your rights as a customer and as a consumer, and they will advocate for you at every turn to ensure you're treated fairly. It's not about getting anything past the credit bureaus, it's about having the law and honesty on your site, and taking care of business.
- Ovation Credit Services offers a free consultation, so you don't have to leave anything up to chance. They'll let you know exactly where you're at, and what you can expect. Take advantage of this offer!
- They offer an additional service called Fast Track that ensures all actions on your account are taken care of the very same day.
Ovation Credit Services Review
Their service is setup in a very intuitive way that's easy for you, as a customer, to use. It's just a matter of getting the ball rolling, and then they take care of the rest. It's an easy process to get started, let's go over it right now.
- First things first, you sign up and choose which plan suits you the best. We'll go over the differences in plans in just a moment. They'll ensure you actually know what's on your credit report, and consult you about what your goals are and how to get there. It's nice that you're able to select the correct plan AFTER you've had your consultation, this ensures that you're choosing the right package from Ovation.
- Next, they'll help you get your Experion report. TransUnion and Equifax will already be added to your account automatically during the setup process from Step 1, so it's just a matter of rounding things off with Experion. If you don't have it, or don't know how to get it, Ovation will be your guide to doing so.
- Next up, you'll use their dispute manager tool to go through the various items on your report that could be causing your score to be lower than it needs to be. Their legal team and personal case advisers will work together, along with you, to ensure you're getting all the possible results that you're legally entitled to. It's just a matter of taking what is yours!
- Lastly, they'll get to work on those disputes, while you can relax and have a little extra time for things you enjoy.
What's unique about Ovation?
Ovation has a strong emphasis on service, and taking care of their customers. They want you to know your rights, to understand the laws, to understand what you're entitled for, and then they want to fight like bulldogs to help you get all of those things. It really feels like they're on your side. Their tools are available 24/7, which is great. You can take steps towards improving your financial situation first thing in the morning, or when you wake up in the middle of the night and can't get back to sleep. Anytime you're ready to go, Ovation is ready to help.
Ovation allows you to submit as many disputes per month as necessary, so you can start with a few or you can really dive right in to get maximum value for your membership. It's a nice option to have, so that you aren't really feeling as rushed as you might with other services, but if you really want to buckle down and make a ton of progress, you have all the tools you need to do that.
How much does Ovation cost?
Ovation offers two main service levels, with a couple of additional add-ons available.
The Essentials plan is $89.00 to setup, and then $59.00 per month. When your score reaches the range you're targeting, you can cancel. There's no contract, no penalties, it's all just fair. They do the work you want to hire them to do, and when the work is done, their job is done, so why would you keep saying them? Some companies make it a whole ordeal to end your service with them, but Ovation does things the right way.
The Essentials Plus plan also costs $89.00 to get it started, and then $89.00 on a monthly basis. We'll be comparing the differences between Essentials and Essentials Plus momentarily, but first let's take a look at some of the other upgrades they offer.
For an additional one-time fee of $25, you'll unlock one-day processing. It basically skips your work to the front of the line, so anytime action is needed on your account, it'll be taken care of the very same day. It's a tiny fee in the grand scheme of things, assuming you're going to use them for at least a few months to get your credit score in tip-top shape, so this extra fee of $25 one time means you'll be getting faster service and better value every single month.
Also available as a one-time fee for $25 is identity optimization. This helps to project you from identity theft, an industry which is sadly growing rapidly. It's the time of thing that takes a ton of time to deal with, and can be very harmful to your credit score and report, but most people don't even think of it until it's already happened and it's too late.
It's a good idea to take a look at your report, get a feel for where things are at, and then use that information to help you decide which services and plans will be the most useful, and the best value, for your unique case. There's where picking up the phone and giving them a call can be really helpful, their staff are experienced and know all the ins and outs, because they do this stuff every single day.
Do they offer any discounts?
Ovation offers a couples discount, but it's different from other ‘couples discounts‘ we've seen in the past. What makes it unique is that it can be any two people, not just spouses. If you and your best friend, or a parent, or a sibling, or a co-worker, or anyone else decide you both want to have better credit scores, you'll receive a 20% discount for signing up together. You'll still both have your own unique accounts, but making the decision to get started at the same time will save you an entire fifth of the monthly cost for Ovation's services, which adds up quickly!
Comparing Ovation's different levels of membership
Their basic plan, called Essentials, includes personalize dispute reports. Their intuitive website makes it easy to tell them exactly which items on your credit report need to be disputed, and they provide you with a personal care adviser who you'll meet during the sign-up process. It's your adviser that will go over things with you, help you choose the right plan and options, and give you an idea of what you can expect to achieve. You can call or email them anytime, and they're with you through the whole process anytime you have questions.
You'll also have full access to their case studies that you can look to for inspiration and to learn from people who have been in your shoes already. You can check on your results and the status of your disputes anytime you'd like. They also have a debt management tool, and an Education Center that's filled with useful information.
With the Essentials Plus plan, they'll send out an unlimited amount of validation letters. These are for accounts that are 150 days or more past due. If the creditor isn't able to provide proof that this negative item on your report is legitimate and filled out with 100% accuracy, the goal is to get it removed.
They'll also send out an unlimited amount of goodwill letters, which are for accounts that are 30-120 days late. It can be anything from asking them to provide proof, to removing the last late payment for the sake of your credit score, or simply just requesting a little leeway as a courtesy. You'd be surprised what you can get when you know how to ask for it!
They'll even write you a letter of recommendation that you can show to banks, car dealerships, and anywhere else you're seeking credit in the future – to let them know you've taken action against negative items on your score, and that they need to consider the fact that you're score isn't as bad as it actually looks, due to errors that are being corrected.
Finally, they include TransUnion credit monitoring so that you can catch any future errors, mistakes, or omissions in real-time to get them taken care of ASAP.
How does Ovation's refund policy/cancellation work?
With Ovation, you pay monthly after your account is setup. If you decide you're done with them, then that's it – you'll stop getting billed and they'll stop doing the work. It's a perfectly fair arrangement.
The thing is… for any credit repair company that's actually doing their job well, they will ultimately lose you as a customer. It's just common sense, once their work is done correctly – you don't need them anymore. Some companies try to fight this fact, and it ends up creating animosity between them and their customers. You want to stick with companies like Ovation who understand this is just part of reality, and they won't try to keep you hostage or hold it against you once the world has been successfully completed.
What's the next step to improving my credit?
The next step is to call Ovation and to get your no-pressure, free consultation. They'll let you know what you can expect by setting you up with realistic expectations based on your unique scenario, and they'll help you come up with a strategy to improve your scores. If you like their plan, then it's go-time! If you still want to explore other options, that's fine – there's no commitment until you've signed up, and even at that, you're only committed to one month at a time, no contract, no tricks, nothing to worry about.
The worst thing you can do is to do nothing at all. The longer you put it off, the harder it gets to fix. Right now is the time to take that first step.