How Long Can a Collection Stay on Your Credit Report?

You may have heard that a collection can stay on your credit report for up to seven years. But how long does a collection really stay on your credit report? We break it down for you.

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Introduction

A collection account is a debt you owe that has been turned over to a collection agency. Once in collections, the debt collector will report the debt to the credit bureaus, and the collection will appear on your credit reports.

How long a collection stays on your credit reports depends on two factors: the age of the debt and the type of debt. Generally, a collection account can stay on your reports for up to seven years from the date it first went late.

However, there are two types of collections — medical collections and non-medical collections — that have different rules. Medical collections can stay on your credit reports for up to seven years from the date they first went late, but they will not impact your credit scores after 24 months. Non-medical collections, such as utility bills or credit card debts, can stay on yourreports for up to seven years from the date they first went late and will continue to impact your credit scores for as long as they remain on your reports.

If you have a collection account on your credit reports, it’s important to know how long it will stay there so you can plan accordingly. Read on to learn more about how long collections can stay on your credit reports.

How Long a Collection Can Stay on Your Report

A collection account can stay on your credit report for up to seven years from the date you first fell behind with the original creditor. This means that even if you pay off the debt, the collection account will still show up on your report for seven years.

One way to remove a collection from your report is to wait for it to fall off naturally. This can take up to seven years, however, so it’s not always the best option. You can also try negotiating with the creditor to have the debt removed in exchange for payment. This is called “pay for delete,” and it’s only effective if you can get the creditor to agree in writing. Finally, you can file a dispute with the credit bureau to have the collection removed if you believe it’s inaccurate or unverifiable.

How to Get a Collection Removed from Your Report

It’s not uncommon for people to have at least one collection account on their credit report. In fact, about one in six Americans have a collection account, according to a study by the Urban Institute.

If you have a collection account, you might be wondering how long it will stay on your credit report. The answer depends on the type of debt and the date of the last activity.

Here’s what you need to know about how long collections can stay on your credit report.

What is a collection?
A collection is an account that has been sent to a third-party debt collector, such as a law firm or collection agency. Collection accounts are typically created when you fall behind on payments for an original creditor, such as a credit card issuer, utility company, or medical office.

How long do collections stay on your credit report?
The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires thatcollection accounts be removed seven years from the date of the first missed payment that led up to the charge-off. So, if the date of your first missed payment was March 1, 2013, the collection account would be removed from your credit report on March 1, 2020. This is assuming there are no other negative marks on your credit report like bankruptcies or foreclosures that would extend the seven-year time frame. (Keep in mind that even if a bankruptcy appears on your credit report, creditors can still attempt to collect debts that were discharged in bankruptcy.)

How to Dispute a Collection on Your Report

It’s not uncommon to have a collection account show up on your credit report. In fact, about 1 in 8 Americans have a collection account on their report, according to a 2019 study by the Urban Institute.

If you find a collection account on your report, you might be wondering how long it will stay there. The answer is that it depends.

Here’s what you need to know about collections and your credit report.

How Long Can a Collection Stay on Your Credit Report?
Generally, a collection account can stay on your credit report for up to seven years from the date of the original missed payment that led to the collection.

However, there are a few exceptions. First, if you pay the collection off, it will be removed from your credit report after seven years. Second, if you dispute the collection with the credit bureau and the bureau finds that the debt is not valid, it will be removed from your credit report immediately.

How Does a Collection Impact Your Credit Score?
A collection account can have a major impact on your credit score. FICO, the company that creates the most widely used credit score in the U.S., says that collections can ding your score by as much as 100 points.

VantageScore 3.0, another popular credit scoring model, says that collections can drop your score by up to 40 points.

Collections usually have more of an impact on people with good or excellent credit scores than people with poor or fair scores because they have further to fall. If you have bad credit and a collection account is added to your report, it might not have as large of an effect on your score because you already have low marks in other areas of your credit history.

How to Avoid Collections

The best way to avoid collections is to pay your debts on time. But if you fall behind, there are a few things you can do to make it less likely that your debt will go to collections:

-Communicate with your creditors. If you’re having trouble making payments, let them know as soon as possible. Many creditors are willing to work out a payment plan or other arrangement.
-Get help from a credit counseling or debt management program. These programs can negotiate with your creditors on your behalf and help you set up a payment plan.
-Offer a lump sum payment. If you have the money, you can try to negotiate a one-time payment of less than the full amount you owe to settle the debt.

If you do end up in collections, there are still things you can do to minimize the damage:

-Know your rights. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) protects consumers from abusive collection practices.
-Respond to the collection notice. Ignoring the problem won’t make it go away, and it could make it worse. By law, collectors must send you a written notice within five days of their first contact that includes information about the debt.
-Negotiate with the collector. Once the debt has been sold to a collection agency, they may be willing to accept less than the full amount owed as payment in full.
-Pay off the debt. This will remove it from your credit report and stop any further collection activity

Conclusion

Here’s a recap of how long a collection can stay on your credit report:

-If the debt is from a seven-year account, the collection will stay on your report for seven years from the date you first became delinquent.
-If the debt is from a 10-year account, the collection will stay on your report for seven years from the date you first became delinquent.
-If the debt is from a 20-year account, the collection will stay on your report for seven years from the date you first became delinquent.