The Positive & The Negative: How Long Will Items Remain on My Credit Report?

You work hard to build good credit, but then something happens that changes your credit report. Perhaps it’s a good change, a positive item that increases your credit score; but maybe it’s negative, an occurrence that takes your credit score down. Knowing how long items remain on your credit report helps you increase the positive and avoid the negative.

The Positive

• Positive accounts, ones with no delinquencies, remain on your report indefinitely.
• Positive accounts that have been closed appear for ten years.
• Lost credit cards, with no delinquencies, show up for two years from the date you reported the card as lost.

The Negative

• Delinquencies, payments that are 30-180 days late, persist for seven years from the date of the initial missed payment.
• If a payment is referred to an agency for collection, the collection account stays for seven years from the date of the missed payment. If you pay the collection account in full, your credit report still lists the account for seven years, but it is marked “paid collection”.
• A charged-off account, one that the creditor marked as uncollectable, remains for seven years from the date of the initial missed payment – even if payments are later made on the charged-off account.
• A closed account with delinquencies, whether closed by you or by the creditor, stays on your report for seven years.
• Delinquent payments on a credit card that is later lost continue on your credit report for seven years.
• Bankruptcy Chapters 7, 11 and 12 remain for ten years from the filing date. Chapter 13 bankruptcies stay for seven years from the filing date and accounts included in the bankruptcy appear for seven years.
• Judgments, such as child support, civil claims and small claims, continue to appear for seven years from the judgment filing date.
• Unpaid tax liens remain on your credit report for 15 years from the filing date. Paid tax liens appear for seven years from the lien payment date.
• Hard credit inquiries, such as those requested by financial institutions and credit card companies, show up on your report for two years.

As your gateway to financial recovery, The Credit Care Company helps you repair your credit score and gets you back on track to financial stability. To start, contact us today.