Just because you settled with a car loan company after a car repossession, that doesn’t mean that they have to remove it from your Equifax, Experian or TransUnion reports.

Portfolio Recover Associates is a collection agency who claims their communication is an attempt to collect a debt.

Credit Sesame is a Website that helps people manage their credit — its offering users free credit monitoring, a service that the big three credit bureaus offer for a fee. However, Credit Sesame monitors information from a single credit bureau — Experian.

The information in your credit report determines in large part what kind of credit, from car loans to credit cards to mortgages, you’ll be able to get. Federal law gives you the right to know what consumer credit information is collected on you and you need to exercise that right.

In order to improve your credit score, it’s always the same formula — you need to make on-time payments, reduce debt, increase credit lines and use plenty of diversity in your credit profile. Additionally, it will help significantly to keep old lines of credit open.