How Long Things Stay on Your Credit Report
Most negative information drops off after seven years. A few items run longer.
Nothing negative stays on a credit report forever. Knowing when an item ages off tells you whether it is worth worrying about and whether a company offering to remove it is selling you something you would get for free by waiting.
| Item | How long it remains | Counted from |
|---|---|---|
| Late payment | 7 years | The date of the missed payment |
| Charge-off | 7 years | The original delinquency date |
| Collection account | 7 years | The original delinquency date |
| Chapter 13 bankruptcy | 7 years | The filing date |
| Chapter 7 bankruptcy | 10 years | The filing date |
| Hard inquiry | 2 years visible, ~1 year counted | The date of the inquiry |
| Closed account in good standing | Up to 10 years | The closure date |
| Open account in good standing | Indefinitely | While it stays open |
Two details that matter
The clock does not restart when a debt is sold. A collector buying a debt cannot reset the seven-year period. It runs from the original delinquency on the original account. A collection account showing a later start date than it should is a specific, disputable error.
Weight fades before the item drops. A late payment from six years ago affects your score far less than one from last month, even though both appear. You do not need an item to disappear before it stops mattering.
What this means in practice
Accurate negative information cannot be removed by dispute, by payment, or by a company charging a monthly fee. What you can do is confirm the dates are right, since an item reported with a start date later than the true delinquency will stay on your file longer than the law allows.
Federal reporting periods are set out by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
This article is general information about how consumer finance products work in the United States. It is not financial, tax or legal advice and is not a recommendation of any specific product or provider. Rules and pricing vary by state and by institution.