Credit Report - How long will information remain on the report?

HOW LONG WILL INFORMATION STAY ON A CREDIT REPORT?  With so many questions about credit and credit reports here is some helpful information.  The best answer, ask your lender.

BANKRUPTCY CHAPTER 13: (Often called a debt reorganization. A Chapter 13 Bankruptcy is generally appropriate for those individuals who have non-exempt property they wish to retain and who have enough income to reasonably pay the reorganized debt after covering reasonable living expenses.)
10 years from the date filed. If discharged it is reportable for 7 years from the date filed.

BANKRUPTCY CHAPTER 7: (Often called a straight bankruptcy-involves the liquidation of all non-exempt by the bankruptcy trustee, who in turn distributes the proceeds to qualified creditors. All dischargeable debts are discharged and the person(s) filing receive a fresh start.)
10 years from the date filed

COLLECTION ACCOUNTS: (If you become delinquent, that is, several months late on a payment for anything from a phone bill to a credit card or a medical bill, the original creditor can place your account in collection status. At that point, the original creditor will use a debt collector as a means to collect any monies outstanding that they believe you owe.)
7 years from the date the account first became delinquent without since becoming current.

INQUIRIES: (There are two types of credit inquiries: those that do not affect your score, or "soft" inquiries, and those that are included in your credit score, or "hard" inquiries. Hard inquiries are those you initiate, including mortgage and auto loan applications and credit card applications. These types of inquiries are included in the formula used to calculate credit scores; therefore, too many can result in a lowering of your score.  Examples of soft inquiries include: requests you make to the credit bureaus for copies of your credit report or score, use of credit information by existing lenders for account review purposes, use of credit information by lenders for "pre-approved" credit offers, inquiries used in making employment decisions, and inquiries for tenant screening (done by a landlord when you apply for housing). These inquiries are shown only on the credit report that you request directly from the credit bureaus, and will not be seen by potential creditors.)
2 years

JUDGMENTS: (A judgment is the final decisive act of a court in defining the rights of the parties. It includes a decree and any order from which an appeal lies. The proper term is Court Judgment. Other terms commonly used include, default judgment, civil judgment, foreign judgment, and judgment proof.
7 years from the date filed
 
TAX LIENS: (tax lien is a lien imposed by law upon a property to secure the payment of taxes. A tax lien may be imposed for delinquent taxes owed on real property or personal property, or as a result of failure to pay income taxes or other taxes.
7 years from the date paid - Indefinite if not paid

TRADE LINES: (Trade lines are the credit accounts listed on a credit report.)
7 years from the date of the last activity

LATE PAYMENTS: (Payments that are made past their due dates according to the loan documents)
  7 years from the date of the occurrence

CONSUMER STATEMENTS: (A record of transactions and their effect on account balances over a specified period of time, for a given account. A bank account statement lists the debits and credits that took place over the relevant time period.)
Can be placed on a credit report for up to 7 years

FRAUD ALERTS (INITIAL): (A fraud alert is one of several security measures placed on a credit report for identity theft management and prevention
Can be placed on a credit report for a minimum of 90 days

FRAUD ALERTS (EXTENDED): (Extended fraud alert if you have been a victim of identity theft and have a police report or identity theft report as supporting documentation. Creditors must contact you directly when there is an extended fraud alert placed on your credit report.)
Can be placed on a credit report for a maximum of 7 years

FRAUD ALERTS (ACTIVE DUTY):( Military personnel to place an alert on their credit file if they are deployed, and allows consumers to request that a credit bureau truncate their Social Security number on credit reports sent to the consumers.)
  Can be placed on a credit report for a minimum of 12 months

Diane O and Friends in TN

             

This posting and the contents written here are the intellectual property and opinions of Diane Osowiecki of Benchmark Realty. Providing real estate services to clients in Nashville, Brentwood, Franklin, Spring Hill, and all of Middle Tennessee