"Erase bad credit!" "Remove bankruptcy from your credit report!" The ads are everywhere-claims that companies can repair your credit...for a fee, that is. Consumer Credit Counseling Service warns consumers to be wary of these types of companies, as they tend to promise much more than they can legally deliver.

"The fact that no one can erase, fix, repair or change information that is true on your credit report," said Janet Warren, CCCS branch manager. "It takes seven to 10 years for derogatory, but accurate, entries to be removed from your credit report. Unfortunately, companies that promise a quick fix are usually just out to take consumers' money."

According to the Federal Trade Commission, there are about 1,000 "credit repair" clinics in the U.S., and they charge from $50 to more than $1,000 to fix credit. Many simply vanish with your money, without making any lasting improvements to your credit reports. CCCS advises that if there are erroneous entries on your credit report, you can have them removed yourself, for fee. To ensure that the files are accurate, consumers should check their credit records regularly.

Georgia state law allows consumers to obtain free copies of their credit reports from each of the credit reporting agencies twice a year. CCCS urges consumers to take advantage of this law and contact Experian, Equifax and TransUnion for their reports.

To help consumers protect themselves and their credit histories, CCCS offers the following tips:

· Get copies of your credit reports each year.

· Check for mistakes on your reports. If there is an error on any of your reports, write a letter to the credit bureau explaining in detail why the information is incorrect. Credit bureaus must handle disputes within 30 days unless additional information is needed.

· Supply an explanation. You can provide the bureau with a 100-word explanation if you disagree with the credit bureau's findings or would like to explain negative information. The explanation becomes a permanent part of your credit file and may be viewed by creditors when they consider credit applications.

· Be alert. Beware of claims that accurate information can be changed or erased or that only credit repair companies can remove old or inaccurate data. Such claims are completely false.

Only the creditor has the power to change reported information on your credit report.