#How Long Does Negative Information Stay On Your Credit Report?

by Odysseas Papadimitriou. CardHub CEO | Oct 4, 2013

We all know that credit report information reflecting late payments, delinquent or defaulted accounts, and other unfulfilled financial obligations can have a very detrimental effect on your overall credit standing as well as your wallet by extension. Fortunately, there are limits on the length of time such negative information can remain on your files with the major credit bureaus.

But what are these limits? And what can you do if you believe that negative information has overstayed its welcome on your credit reports?

These are very important considerations, as the answers can impact how you should approach your financial situation. There is also a lot of misinformation out there concerning how long negative information can remain on your credit reports as well as what your options are in dealing with it.

The following table will give you a general sense of the shelf life that different types of negative credit report information have. We will also discuss the issue in further detail – offering explanations, exceptions, and tips – below.

Type of Negative Information