Attorneys general are responsible for enforcing consumer protection laws in their state. If you’ve been scammed by a company offering credit repair services, consider filing a complaint with your state’s attorney general. There are several ways you can improve your credit score, including making on-time payments, paying down balances, avoiding unnecessary debt and more. But depending on your unique situation, it can be difficult to know where to start. Whatever creditrepair , you’re now facing the challenge of fixing a “bad” credit score.

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You can use a debt consolidation loan to pay off your credit cards, then pay back the loan over time in fixed monthly installments. Although debt consolidation loans charge interest, rates are typically lower than credit card interest rates, ultimately saving you money. Plus, one fixed monthly payment can be easier to budget for and pay on time than multiple credit card bills.

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There are no origination or application fees, and you can get a 0.25% autopay rate discount if you sign up for automatic payments. Minimum repayment terms are shorter than available through other lenders—six months—making PNC Bank best if you want to pay off your credit card balances on a more abbreviated timeline. LendingClub offers various financial products, including personal loans that can be used for debt consolidation. The lender’s minimum APR is lower than is available through some lenders, but its maximum rate is higher than many and there’s no autopay discount. LendingClub also may deduct an origination fee between 0% to 8% from your loan proceeds at funding, so consider this when choosing a loan amount.

These are not just bad ideas, they’re also scams — and they’ll hurt your credit if you buy into the scam. If a company promises to create a new credit identity or hide your bad credit history or bankruptcy, that’s also a scam. These companies often use stolen Social Security numbers, or they get people to apply for Employer Identifications Numbers (EINs) from the IRS under false pretenses.

If you have a significant amount of outstanding credit card debt, you may be able to consolidate the debt to make payments more manageable and pay it off faster. A debt consolidation loan can offer lower interest rates to help you save as you pay off the debt. It could keep you from getting the best rates on loans and credit cards, leading you to pay higher interest rates — or get rejected altogether. In some instances, a below-average credit score can even affect your job prospects. Your credit score, a three-digit number derived from your credit reports, is a reflection of your credit history with each credit bureau. Not all credit repair services are reputable, and some are outright scams.