I'm no expert, Im basically in the same position as you. but what I've been told is ... be careful of credit repair scams....if you do it on your own, first of all...its not a quick process, it will take some time but then your credit wasnt ruined overnight. So besides paying your debts you will also need to get some positive things on your credit to counter the bad. Those bad debts, even tho you pay them off, will remain on your credit report for 7 years..but they will show "Paid". Creditors will still be able to see that you had trouble paying in the past. Slowly they will begin to drop off (as they reach 7 years). and you will be adding positive credit so it will eventually outweigh the bad. Of course you should get a copy of your credit report (you can get a free copy once a year) and make sure that the debt is truly yours. If not you can challenge it and have it removed. That can be done in a matter of months. In the meantime, be diligent about paying everything on time...including utilities. And maybe get a secured credit card and slowly start building positive credit. PS...Make sure you pay your rent on time and are on good terms with your landlord because if they see a bad renting history you'll have a really hard time finding a new place.
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