How long do things stay on your credit report?

Things like an eviction, reposession, or credit cards? Do medical bills count? Is there a web site that I can check my credit report for free without having to sign up for other things?

How long do things stay on your credit report?
Bankruptcies are 10 years. Bad debts/delinquencies last 7 years from date of first delinquency. This is the important distinction most people miss. No matter how many times a bad debt is sold to collections, it will only affect you 7 years after the original creditors report of delinquency. So if you owe a phone bill which was reported as not paid 10 years ago and a collection agency wants to collect the money, they cant put it on your credit report and if they do, dispute it and have it removed. Your credit report essentially is a snap shot of your last 7 years of activity (10 if you filed bankruptcy).





If you want to clear it up, here are a few options. A bad debt with $0 showing is a lot better than a bad debt showing amount owed. So work with your creditors to pay the debt off. One thing you can do is make them write you a letter that once debt is paid off, it will be removed from your credit. Many collection companies are more than willing to remove the negative marks from your credit as long as they receive the money so make sure you get something from them in writing stating once you pay off the debt, the account will not be marked negative or removed from your credit. If they don't, still a $0 bad debt which shows you missed payments is better than showing you still owe them $1000. Or if you know that 7 years are about to happen on your bad debts' first report with the original creditor, all inquiries related to that account can be removed. You however will have to dispute that with the credit agencies indicating its 7+ years old and they will remove it.





You can get your report free every 12 months from the following URL





http://www.annualcreditreport.com





All records including medical, eviction and credit cards will be removed after 7 years of first delinquency. You will however have to dispute it. Student loans and child support are a whole different deal since there is no statute of limitations on either of them.
Reply:Items tend to stay on your credit report for 7 years. That would include credit cards, repos and evictions. 7 years is the "rule of thumb" However, a creditor can continue to "renew" their contract with the credit reporting agencies as long as they are willing to pay for it.. Bankruptcies stay on for 10 years. Medical bills do count, however, when you are going to purchase a home or something like that. They can be explained away with a letter of explanation or overlooked dependent upon the lender. :) annualcreditreport .com is GREAT and you do not have to sign up for other stuff! They also have info on how you can dispute items if need be. Good Luck! :)
Reply:7 years for charge-offs....BK is ten years.





You can check your credit report for free on Annualcreditreport.com





NOT freecreditreport.com
Reply:i believe it's seven years