I'm not gonna knock using a agency to do your legwork, but we as black consumers fail to learn our rights and laws then cry foul when the man comes knocking. By doing it yourself you will learn the laws and know your rights. For instance, most people do not know that everytime an inquiry is made on your credit file, it knocks your score a little. The credit bureas often make mistakes and may have you listed with the wrong social security number which could create problems when you apply for something or worse yet open you up for identity theft. Knowing your own credit file can help you get better rates on loans and credit cards. I personally went from low limit, high APR cards to all prime card with interest rates less than 10% which saves you alot of finance charges if you carry a balance. I also purchased a $250K house with great rates, refinanced a car from 14% to 6.5% and have been approved for cards that I didn't need, but just liked to have them. It feels good to walk into a store knowing that I can get anything I want and not have to worry if I have enough credit. All that from learning how the financial system works and doing what all the well off americans do...negotiate on your terms not theirs. Just this week, the wife and I stopped in a BMW dealership just to look. We got offered 4.5% financing and I laughed. The manager asked what was funny. I told him I could put that on my Plat. Mastercard at 2.5%. He thought was just bullsh*tting until I got my bank rep on the phone to set up a wire transfer. He asked what rate and she told him...He damn near fainted and offered us everything he could think of. We said nah...we're just looking and left him standing there pale as a mother.... Do yourself a favor and do it yourself. The knowledge that you gain will greatly benefit you!
