How Long Does Information Stay on my Equifax Credit Report | Equifax (2024)

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Highlights:

  • Most negative information generally stays on credit reports for 7 years
  • Bankruptcy stays on your Equifax credit report for 7 to 10 years, depending on the bankruptcy type
  • Closed accounts paid as agreed stay on your Equifax credit report for up to 10 years

When it comes to credit reports, one of the most frequently asked questions is: How long does information stay on my Equifax credit report? The answer is that it depends on the type of information and whether it’s considered “positive” or “negative.”

Generally speaking, negative information such as late or missed payments, accounts that have been sent to collection agencies, accounts not being paid as agreed, or bankruptcies stays on credit reports for approximately seven years. Here is a breakdown of some the different types of “negative” information and how long you can expect the information to be on your Equifax credit report:

  • Late payments remain on a credit report for up to seven yearsfrom the original delinquency date -- the date of the missed payment.The late payment remains on your Equifax credit report even if you pay the past-due balance. For instance, if you had alate payment in April 2011, the late payment would come off your Equifax credit report April 2018, seven years after the date of the missed payment.
  • Collection or charged-off accounts: If you have a late payment and don’t pay the past-due balance, the account could eventually be charged off by the original lender andassigned to a collectionagency. If that happens, the entire collection account would be removed seven years from the date of your first missed payment that led to the collection or charge-off status.If you pay the collection account before the seven-year period is up, it can remain on your Equifax credit report, but the account may have less of an impact on your Equifax credit score.
  • Bankruptcy public recordsstay on your Equifax credit report from seven to 10 years, depending on the type of bankruptcy.
  • Other negative accounts,such as repossessions, can also stay on your report for up to sevenyears from the date of the first missed payment that led to the negative status. Negative accounts can also include foreclosures, and short sales or a deed in lieu of a foreclosure if reported in a negative status.

Here are some examples of "positive" information and how long it stays on your Equifax credit report :

  • Active accounts paid as agreed. Active credit accounts that are paid as agreed remain on your Equifax credit report as long as the account is open and the lender is reporting it.
  • Closed accounts paid as agreed. If the last status of the account is reported by the lender as paid as agreed, the account can stay on your Equifax credit report for up to 10 years from the date it was reported by the lender to Equifax.

Lastly, hard inquiries result when a potential lender, creditor or service provider requests a copy of your Equifax credit report in response to a request for credit or certain services. These can remain on your Equifax credit report for up to two years.

Regularly checking your Equifax credit report is an important step to ensure your information is accurate and complete, and confirm that any negative information falls off after the appropriate time period. You’re entitled to a free copy of your credit reports every 12 months from each of the three nationwide credit bureaus by visiting www.annualcreditreport.com. You can also create a myEquifax accountto get six free Equifax credit reports each year. In addition, you can click “Get my free credit score” on your myEquifax dashboard to enroll in Equifax Core Credit™ for a free monthly Equifax credit report and a free monthly VantageScore® 3.0 credit score, based on Equifax data. A VantageScore is one of many types of credit scores.

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FAQs

How Long Does Information Stay on my Equifax Credit Report | Equifax? ›

Remain on your Equifax credit report for up to 7 years from the original delinquency date – the date of the missed payment. The late payment remains even if you pay the past-due balance. Remain on your Equifax credit report for up to 7 years from the date of the first missed payment.

How long does Equifax keep records? ›

Most negative information generally stays on credit reports for 7 years. Bankruptcy stays on your Equifax credit report for 7 to 10 years, depending on the bankruptcy type. Closed accounts paid as agreed stay on your Equifax credit report for up to 10 years.

Can I remove my information from Equifax? ›

You can ask Equifax to delete your personal information. Right to Correct: You can ask Equifax to correct any inaccurate personal information.

What information can stay in your credit report forever? ›

​​Accurate positive information can remain on your credit report forever but commonly is removed after seven years. Accurate negative information can remain on your credit report for only seven years, with a couple of exceptions. A bankruptcy can remain on your credit report for 10 years.

How many years do the credit bureaus keep credit information? ›

A credit reporting company generally can report most negative information for seven years. Information about a lawsuit or a judgment against you can be reported for seven years or until the statute of limitations runs out, whichever is longer. Bankruptcies can stay on your report for up to ten years.

Can I get a credit report from 20 years ago? ›

Getting old credit reports

Because of the way data is updated, there are no 'old versions' of your Credit Report being stored anywhere - it's not as simple as calling up and asking for a copy of your Credit Report from August 1993.

How do I clean up my Equifax report? ›

How to Clean Up Your Credit Report: 7 Tips
  1. Pull Your Credit Reports.
  2. Go Through Your Credit Reports Line by Line.
  3. Challenge Any Errors.
  4. Get Past-Due Accounts Off Your Report.
  5. Lower Your Credit Utilization Ratio.
  6. Take Care of Outstanding Collections.
  7. Repeat Steps 1–6.
May 6, 2024

How do I get my Equifax collections removed? ›

A good first step is to contact the lender or creditor. You can also file a dispute with the credit bureau that furnished the report where the account is listed. To file a dispute with Equifax, you can create a myEquifax account. Visit our dispute page to learn other ways you can submit a dispute.

What Cannot be removed from your credit report? ›

No, you cannot remove accurate information from your credit report. The bureaus are required to include all accurate information. While it's unlikely, you can ask the creditor to remove the negative item from your report. There are two main ways to dispute accurate information.

How do I remove something from my Equifax credit report? ›

If you need to dispute information with the credit bureaus, the fastest way to do so is online. You'll need to file a dispute separately with each credit bureau. You can file a dispute on the following sites: Equifax: www.myequifax.com.

Is it true that after 7 years your credit is clear? ›

Most negative items should automatically fall off your credit reports seven years from the date of your first missed payment, at which point your credit score may start rising. But if you are otherwise using credit responsibly, your score may rebound to its starting point within three months to six years.

What is the longest something can stay on your credit report? ›

Most of it must be taken off after seven years. Some items, such as bankruptcy, can remain for up to 10 years, and other items, such as civil judgments or tax liens no longer are reported at all.

What is the average FICO score in the US? ›

What is the average credit score? The average FICO credit score in the US is 717, according to the latest FICO data. The average VantageScore is 701 as of January 2024. Credit scores, which are like a grade for your borrowing history, fall in the range of 300 to 850.

Do unpaid collections go away? ›

Accounts in collection generally remain on your credit reports for seven years, plus 180 days from whenever the account first became past due. Editorial Note: Intuit Credit Karma receives compensation from third-party advertisers, but that doesn't affect our editors' opinions.

How do I remove old credit history? ›

8 steps to remove old debt from your credit report
  1. Get all three of your credit reports. ...
  2. Verify the age of any outstanding debts. ...
  3. Double-check the dates on sold-off debt. ...
  4. Dispute the error with the credit bureaus. ...
  5. Send a letter to the reporting creditor. ...
  6. Get special attention. ...
  7. Contact the regulators. ...
  8. Talk to an attorney.
May 1, 2024

Does your credit history clear after 5 years? ›

All payments you've made during the last two years — on credit cards, loans or bills, whether you paid on time or not. Payments of $150 or more that are overdue by 60 days or more — these stay on your report for five years, even after you've paid them off.

What remains on your credit report for 7 to 10 years? ›

Here's the basic breakdown of how long different types of negative information will remain on your credit report: Late payments: 7 years. Bankruptcies: 7 years for completed Chapter 13 bankruptcies and 10 years for Chapter 7 bankruptcies. Foreclosures: 7 years.

Does debt disappear after 7 years? ›

According to the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), negative items can appear on your credit report for up to 7 years (and possibly more). These include items such as debt collections and late payments. The time frame begins from the original date of the delinquency (the date of the missed payment).

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