Bad Debt After 7 Years

How Long Can Negative Information Be Reported?

Your credit report contains a history of your credit activity. Negative items on your credit report will hurt your credit rating for a number of years.

Accurate negative information generally can be reported for seven years, but there are exceptions:

• Bankruptcy information can be reported for 10 years;
• Information reported because of an application for a job with a salary of more than $75,000 has no time limitation;
• Information reported because of an application for more than $150,000 worth of credit or life insurance has no time limitation;
• Information concerning a lawsuit or a judgment against you can be reported for seven years or until the statute of limitations runs out, whichever is longer; and
• Default information concerning U.S. Government insured or guaranteed student loans can be reported for seven years after certain guarantor actions.

Credit Report Scores - Computing Then

Your credit report scores are based on factors that appear in your credit reports:

• Bill payment history (Good: on time and for the full amount)
• Total outstanding debt (Good: non-mortgage loan payments less than 5% of gross income)
• Types of debt (Good: mortgage, car loans, Bad: high credit card debt)
• Length of credit history (Good: 3 or more years of on time payments)
• Credit inqueries (Bad: many rejected applications)

The Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA) prohibits certain factors from being used in determining your credit report score:

• Personal details such as sex, marital status, age, race, national origin, or because you receive public assistance income
• Sources of income such as regular alimony, child support, or separate maintenance payments

The Equal Credit Opportunity Act provides actions for you to take if suspect unauthorized factors are being used to deny you credit.

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