Lexington Law Alternatives: 5 Options and a Free DIY Route

Quick summary

The cheapest Lexington Law alternative is also the most direct one: dispute errors on your credit reports yourself, for free. If that doesn't fit, the other four routes are nonprofit credit counseling, a different credit repair company checked against federal law, using your right to cancel, and filing a CFPB complaint. This page is a roadmap, not a ranking. For the firm itself, read (/lexington-law-reviews/).

Here is the short version of each route:

1. Dispute errors yourself. Free, and the CFPB lays out the steps.
2. Nonprofit credit counseling. Helps with budget and debt, not report errors.
3. Another credit repair company. Only if it follows the Credit Repair Organizations Act (CROA).
4. Cancel. You have a short window to back out of a new contract.
5. File a CFPB complaint. The escalation step when a dispute goes nowhere.

What the 2023 CFPB order changed

In March 2023, a federal court in Utah ruled that the companies behind Lexington Law and CreditRepair.com violated the advance fee provision of the Telemarketing Sales Rule. That rule says a telemarketed credit repair company must wait until six months after it documents the results it promised before it asks for or takes payment, according to (https://www.consumerfinance.gov/archive/newsroom/cfpb-reaches-multibillion-dollar-settlement-with-credit-repair-conglomerate/).

The same announcement describes a proposed settlement with a $2.7 billion judgment for redress and a 10-year ban on telemarketing credit repair. The companies filed for Chapter 11 after the ruling and said they had shut down about 80 percent of the business. Because they are insolvent, the CFPB said it would decide whether its victims relief fund could pay those harmed.

If you paid up front after a sales call, check the CFPB's page for the case. It lists the matter as ongoing, says victims have been identified and contacted, and says (https://www.consumerfinance.gov/enforcement/payments-harmed-consumers/payments-by-case/lexlaw/). It gives no per-person payment amounts, so we won't guess at one.

Here's the takeaway: the order is about how a company charges, not a verdict on every credit repair service. Use the same yardstick on any firm you consider.

The list: five Lexington Law alternatives

Option 1: Dispute errors yourself for free

Nothing stops you from doing yourself what a credit repair company does for an error. Start with your reports. The CFPB says you can get a free report from each of Equifax, Experian and TransUnion (https://www.consumerfinance.gov/ask-cfpb/how-do-i-get-a-free-copy-of-my-credit-reports-en-5/). Be wary of sites that advertise "free" reports but require a purchase.

Then follow (https://www.consumerfinance.gov/ask-cfpb/how-do-i-dispute-an-error-on-my-credit-report-en-314/):

• Write to the credit reporting company. Name each error with its account number, say why it's wrong, and ask for a correction or removal. Send copies of supporting documents, never originals.
• Write to the furnisher too. That's the bank, lender or collector that supplied the information. Furnishers generally must investigate and respond within 30 days.
• Keep copies and use certified mail. The CFPB suggests a return receipt.
• Add a statement if you lose. If the furnisher says the information is accurate, you can ask the bureaus to add a statement explaining your dispute.

This route only works on inaccurate or unverifiable information. Accurate negative items aren't errors, and a dispute isn't a way to erase them. For more on who to write to first, see (/furnisher-disputes-vs-bureau-disputes-which-wins/).

Option 2: Nonprofit credit counseling

If the real problem is the debt itself, a clean report won't fix it. Nonprofit counseling agencies review your budget and goals and may propose a debt management plan. The National Foundation for Credit Counseling describes (https://www.nfcc.org/) as a confidential consultation, a one-on-one review and a personalized action plan. That's the organization's own description, so treat it as a starting point and ask any agency about fees before you sign.

Counseling doesn't dispute errors. It's a different tool for a different problem. For where each fits, see (/debt-management-plan-vs-debt-settlement-vs-credit-repair/).

Option 3: Another credit repair company, checked against CROA

Some readers want a company to handle the paperwork. That's legal, and federal law sets the ground rules. Before you pay anyone, confirm three things from the Credit Repair Organizations Act:

• No payment before the work is done. A credit repair organization may not charge or receive money for a service (https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/15/1679b).
• A written, dated contract. It must list payment terms, a detailed description of the services, any guarantees, an estimated completion time, and the company's name and address.
• Three business days to cancel. You can cancel without penalty before midnight of the third business day after signing, and the contract must include a (https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/15/1679e).

If a company asks for a fee up front, walk away. For specific firms, our independent write-ups include the (/credit-saint-reviews/) and the (/the-credit-people-reviews/). Credit Repair Review may earn a commission if you sign up through links to companies on this site, and that doesn't change what the law requires of them.

Option 4: Cancel, and know what you're owed

Already enrolled somewhere? You may not need a replacement. You need an exit. The CFPB's 2023 announcement says the companies must send remaining customers who signed up through telemarketing a notice about the lawsuit, the settlement, and how to cancel. Under CROA, a new contract can be cancelled in the first three business days with no penalty.

Outside that window, check your contract and what you've paid. Our walkthrough on (/cancel-credit-repair-contract-refund-croa/) covers the steps and what to put in writing.

Option 5: Escalate with a CFPB complaint

If a bureau or furnisher ignores your dispute, you can (https://www.consumerfinance.gov/ask-cfpb/how-do-i-dispute-an-error-on-my-credit-report-en-314/). The CFPB's dispute page lists this as a next step after you've disputed in writing. If you suspect identity theft, it points you to IdentityTheft.gov instead. A complaint isn't a guarantee of a particular outcome, so keep your dispute paperwork either way.

How to put this into practice

Work through this order and you'll know where you stand within a few weeks:

1. Pull all three reports and mark every item you believe is wrong.
2. Send written disputes to the bureau and the furnisher for each error, and keep copies.
3. Wait out the 30-day response window, then read the results.
4. If errors remain, add a statement or file a CFPB complaint.
5. Only then decide whether you need counseling or a paid service, and test any paid offer against CROA's three protections.

Many people who find a genuine error can handle it without paying anyone. If you do want a hand, (/#top-companies) with the checklist above in your pocket.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Lexington Law still operating?

After the 2023 court ruling, the companies said they had shut down about 80 percent of the business and filed for Chapter 11, according to the CFPB. We don't have a current status beyond that, so check with the firm directly and see our review.

Can I still claim a refund from the CFPB Lexington Law case?

The CFPB's case page says victims have been identified and contacted, and that claims are not being accepted. Use the contact details on that page if you have questions.

Is disputing errors myself really free?

Yes. You dispute in writing with each credit reporting company and the furnisher. The CFPB says furnishers generally must respond within 30 days.

What can a credit repair company legally charge before doing the work?

Under CROA, nothing before the service is fully performed. For telemarketed sales, the Telemarketing Sales Rule also requires waiting six months after documenting results.

Does nonprofit credit counseling fix errors on my report?

No. Counseling reviews your budget and debt. Disputing errors is a separate step you take with the bureaus and furnishers.