FAQ
Credit Decoded — Frequently Asked Questions
snazconsulting.com
About Us
Q: What is Credit Decoded? A: Credit Decoded is subsidiary of SNAZ Consulting Inc that produces digital resources to help people understand their financial rights and take action on their credit and financial structure. We sell practical, clear guides built on US and Canadian law.
Q: What is Snaz Consulting? A: Snaz Consulting Inc. is a Calgary-based company. Credit Decoded is one of its brands. All products on this site are published and operated by Snaz Consulting Inc.
Q: Is this legal or financial advice?
No. Everything on this site is educational content only. It is not legal advice, financial advice, or a substitute for a licensed attorney or financial advisor. Laws vary by state, province, debt type, and personal situation. If your situation is serious, speak to a professional before acting.
The Products
Q: What products do you offer?
Three resources are available:
· Credit Repair Starter Kit — Free. 10 dispute letter templates (5 for the US, 5 for Canada) and a 30-day action plan.
· Debt Validation Playbook — $27. Six letter templates, a 30-day execution checklist, and a statute-of-limitations guide for handling third-party debt collectors in the US.
Student Loan Survival Guide — $22. Recovery procedures for federal student loan borrowers in default — loan rehabilitation, consolidation, the July 2026 OBBBA changes, wage garnishment objections, and Treasury Offset Program hardship requests. Three sample letters included.
· Credit Decoded Toolkit — $47. 15 advanced US dispute letter templates that pick up where the Starter Kit ends — multi-round disputes, method-of-verification demands, statute of limitations notices, settlement and pay-for-delete agreements, goodwill removal letters, mixed file disputes, hard inquiry challenges, and more. Includes a credit report walkthrough for all three US bureaus, a one-page FCRA and FDCPA legal cheat sheet, and the Dispute Tracking Workbook in Excel with auto-calculating response deadlines.
Q: Is the Credit Repair Starter Kit really free?
Yes. No upsell at checkout. No credit card required.
Q: How do I get my download after purchasing?
After checkout, we send a download link to the email address you used. Check your spam folder if it doesn't arrive within a few minutes. If you're still having trouble, email us at info@snazconsulting.com.
Q: What's the difference between the Starter Kit and the Toolkit? A: The Starter Kit is the starting point — 10 letter templates covering the most common situations in the US and Canada, plus a 30-day action plan. The Toolkit picks up where the Starter Kit ends. It's a US guide with 15 advanced letter templates for more complex situations (multi-round disputes, collector follow-ups, statute of limitations notices, settlement offers, and more), a walkthrough of all three US credit bureau reports, and a dispute tracking workbook. If you've completed the 30-day plan and still have unresolved items, the Toolkit is the next step.
Q: What’s your refund policy?
We offer a 100% refund if you contact us within 5 days of purchase. We don't want anyone feeling stuck. Email us at info@snazconsulting.com and we'll sort it out.
Credit Repair
Q: Can I dispute items on my credit report myself?
Yes. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), you have the right to dispute any item on your credit report that you believe is inaccurate, incomplete, or unverifiable. The credit bureau has 30 days to investigate. If the item can’t be verified, they must delete it. In Canada, similar rights exist under the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and provincial privacy legislation. You don’t need to hire a credit repair company to do any of this.
Q: How long does credit repair take?
A successful dispute can show on your report within 30 to 45 days. Going from a score in the low 500s to the 700s typically takes 12 to 24 months — disputes, on-time payments, and reduced credit utilization all factor in. There is no overnight fix. Anyone promising one is lying.
Q: Does disputing items hurt my credit score?
No. Filing a dispute doesn’t generate a hard inquiry and doesn’t lower your score. When a negative item is removed, your score will typically improve.
Q: What’s the difference between a dispute letter and a debt validation letter?
A dispute letter goes to the credit bureau — you’re asking them to investigate an item on your report. A debt validation letter goes to the debt collector — you’re asking them to prove the debt is yours, the amount is correct, and they have the right to collect it. Both rights are covered in our resources.
Q: What if the credit bureau doesn’t respond within 30 days?
Under the FCRA, if a bureau fails to complete its investigation within 30 days (extendable to 45 days in certain circumstances), it must delete the disputed item. If a bureau ignores you or violates your rights, you can file a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau at consumerfinance.gov/complaint. You may also have grounds to sue under the FCRA.
Q: I’m being contacted by a debt collector. What are my rights?
In the US, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) gives you the right to request debt validation within 30 days of first contact. The collector must stop collection activity until they respond. They can’t call at unreasonable hours, use abusive language, or make false statements about the debt. In Canada, collector conduct is governed by provincial consumer protection laws. Rules vary, but collectors generally must identify themselves, provide debt details in writing, and stop contact if you request it in writing.
Q: Do these letter templates actually work?
The templates are built on your rights under the FCRA, FDCPA, and PIPEDA. Whether a specific item gets removed depends on whether the creditor or bureau can verify it. No outcome is guaranteed. Anyone promising guaranteed removals is misleading you. What the letters do is start the process correctly and in writing, which is what matters legally.
Q: Can I dispute accurate negative items?
The FCRA gives you the right to dispute items you believe are inaccurate or unverifiable. Bureaus are not required to remove information they can verify as accurate. Accurately reported late payments, charge-offs, and collections can remain on your report for up to 7 years from the date of first delinquency. Chapter 7 bankruptcy can remain for up to 10 years.
Canada
Q: Do the US letter templates work in Canada?
No. US law (the FCRA and FDCPA) does not apply in Canada. The Starter Kit includes 5 separate Canadian templates built on PIPEDA and provincial privacy law. Use those if you’re disputing with Equifax Canada or TransUnion Canada.
Q: Which credit bureaus operate in Canada? A: Two — Equifax Canada and TransUnion Canada. Experian does not operate in Canada. The same account may appear differently on each bureau, so pull both reports.
Q: How do I get my free credit report in Canada? A: In Canada it's called a Consumer Disclosure. Both Equifax Canada and TransUnion Canada are required by provincial law to provide it free of charge. You can request it online, by phone, by mail, or in person. Equifax Canada: equifax.ca / 1-800-465-7166. TransUnion Canada: transunion.ca / 1-800-663-9980. Note: the Consumer Disclosure does not include your credit score — Quebec residents are the exception, as provincial law entitles them to their score at no charge.
Q: How long can negative items stay on my Canadian credit report? A: Most negative items — late payments, collections, charge-offs — stay for 6 years. A first bankruptcy stays for 6 years from discharge (7 years from the filing date if there was no discharge), though the exact timeline varies by province and bureau. Multiple bankruptcies remain for 14 years from the date of each discharge. These timelines are set by provincial consumer reporting laws and differ from the US rules, so the Canadian templates in the Starter Kit are built accordingly.
Q: Who do I contact if a Canadian credit bureau doesn't respond to my dispute? A: File a complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) under PIPEDA at priv.gc.ca. If the issue involves a federally regulated bank, contact the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC). Provincial consumer protection offices handle complaints in Ontario, BC, Alberta, and Quebec — contact details are in the Resources section of the Starter Kit.
Contact
Q: How do I contact you?
Email us at info@snazconsulting.com. We respond within 2 business days.