What happens to items on your credit report after seven years?

Answer 1

Generally, after seven years most information must be deleted from your credit reports with the exception of bankruptcies which can be reported for up to 10 years.

Here are more opinions and answers from other WikiAnswerers:

• Most derogatory items, such as late payments, collection accounts and charge offs, fall off seven years from the DATE OF FIRST DELINQUENCY. And, as alluded to in the other response, there are certain items, such as bankruptcy filings, which can be legally shown for ten years from the date of discharge. Some items, such as unpaid tax liens, student loans and child support obligations have no statute of limitations and can legally be shown on your credit report forever. They will show for 7 to 10 years from the date they are paid, or the date of their legal disposition. Positive credit history can also be shown on your credit report for more than 7 years. Since it is simply good credit history, there is no need to worry about something old and positive that shows.

• So what happens if you have an ivestigation done on the account. I have seen where they will then change the date of last activty to reflect the entry. So what can be done at that point. The seven years just keep going on and on. Since the 7 years is from the DATE OF FIRST DELINQUENCY, last activity does not change the allowable time on your credit report.

• To the point regarding investigations, it can happen when an investigation takes place, the collection agency or creditor will refresh the account, and 7 years will just keep on going. This just happened to me with a library late fee from three years ago that I didn't know about until I recently found it on my Experian credit report. So I did an investigation because I didn't know what it was and it brought the account current. Because of that, I just paid it, although I wish I would have known three years ago; the infamous seven years now starts over again. THIS IS NOT CORRECT. I Restate - It is from the DATE OF FIRST DELINQUENCY. So even if you're young, check ALL THREE credit reports every year! I only used to check one, and in this case the library only reported to Experian. Shortly the right to obtain all three reports will be free for everyone in the U.S. so make sure you take advantage of it!

• Disputing or investigating items on your credit report do not cause them to "go on" for another 7 years. The length of time derogatory information may show in your credit file is established by the Fair Credit Reporting Act at 7 years. The law was amended in 2003 to give a strict formula by which this date is established and to force Data Furnishers to identity it within 90 days of reporting the account (as a collection or charge off). This date may not be displayed on the format that a consumer sees, but it is in the file itself and can be requested from any Credit Reporting Agency. If a creditor were to change THIS DATE, it would be a violation of the FCRA. The term for this offense is "re-aging". Disputing and investigating items does cause the tradeline to be "updated". The date any account was last reported to the bureaus is the date that causes a deduction in credit scores. This may be the source of confusion. Updating an account because of a dispute, investigation or payment is not illegal, as long as the "date of last activity" does not change. Updating an account does not cause it to remain another 7 years.

• I just want to remind people that when you receive a letter from your creditor that offers a one, last time solid payment, to pay off the debt, remember that it does NOT wipe away that debt history on your credit report. I was so amazed because they made me an offer, but when they sent me the offer "form" it was so shallow it wasn't even signed by an official! It was just initialed and even the letter heading looked tacky. The credit agency said they had no other "form" available. I told them over the phone that I thought I should show it to a lawyer first and the main man "Zeke" from California who handled my account got so upset he threatened to call off the "whole deal" and then immediately hung up on me. I then went to the internet and found many other complaints against this NCO Financial Institution and many other NCO co. across the nation. So, I'll just keep on paying my present monthly payment of $25.00 for a hospital bill that I had missed 2 payments on due to unemployment and forget any future "deals" with NCO because they are what they are...and it's not good.