Daytime television is full of advertisements nowadays for credit repair agencies, all promising to painlessly solve your credit problems.

However, many of these agencies use methods which are either illegal, or at best, unethical, and may leave you in a far worse position. For example, some might claim to be able to remove County Court Judgements (CCJs) which is in fact impossible, unless the charge against you has been dropped or the claim was never correctly filed in the first place. They can also be very expensive, and charge you excessively for services you could procure for yourself without cost.

It is actually far better that you make steps yourself to solve any credit problems, as only you can be responsible for repairing such difficulties through a debt repayment plan or similar. You are not alone, however, as there are a wide range of reputable and highly useful debt management and advice organisations available. It is well worth speaking to one to seek unbiased expert advice.

If, however, you do decide to contact a credit repair service then take steps to protect yourself and check the validity of the services. For example, do not engage the services of any agency who asks for upfront payment for credit repair services, or who fail to explain what steps you can take to improve your credit score yourself. Equally do not use any unscrupulous agencies who do not suggest that you directly contact a credit bureau yourself, or who suggest steps which appear to be illegal - for example, setting up a new personal credit identity, as you can face prosecution yourself if you commit a fraud after following illegal advice.

Furthermore, even the government has cautioned taking care when considering use of a credit repair agency, counselling that many of them are simply fronts for loan companies or broker organisations. A report published by the Office of Fair Trading in 2000 noted that many of the credit repair companies offered nothing above the services that an individual could procure for themselves - for example, accessing your own credit report, or information about any CCJ against you from a County Court.

There are three credit reference agencies in the UK - Experian, Equifax and Callcredit - and all will provide full details of your credit record directly for a small fee of around £2. Once you have this report you can see full details of your debt and credit history and if you find that anything on the report is incorrect, or warrants further explanation, you can write a letter to the reference agency explaining the situation. This will then be placed on your file to offer creditors and future lenders further information into your circumstances.

Once you have your credit information, speak to a reputable advice or debt management agency to get expert guidance in mending and improving your credit score. Remember that no situation is impossible - and information on your credit report only remains there for around 1-7 years. Furthermore, with the right attitude and debt management plan, you can improve your credit score - lenders are keen to understand your current circumstances more than your previous ones so take steps today to help yourself.