Common Questions

What is a credit report?

What kind of information appears on a credit report?

How long do negative items stay on a credit report?

Can I see my credit report?

How much bad credit does it take to be denied credit?

Who looks at my credit report?

What is the difference between R1 and R9?

What is a charge off?

How long do negative items stay on a credit report?

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires that most negative credit items remain on your credit bureau file for no more than seven years, except for bankruptcy, which can be reported for up to ten years and in rare cases even longer. Inquiries may remain on a credit report for up to two years.

It is important to note that these 2, 7 and 10 year terms are the time limits for reporting negative credit. Your creditors or the credit bureaus can choose to have the negative credit information deleted whenever there is a reason to do so.

Can I see my credit...

The ability to remove or amend negative items in credit reports is necessary because mistakes do happen.

Without it, any mistake your creditor makes when reporting to the credit bureaus would stay with you for at least 7 years.

*Important: While the testimonials and other information on this website may be exciting, Lexington Law promises only to perform the steps we've agreed to in each client's case and to charge each month only for steps already completed. As with any legal work, no outcome is promised. Your results will vary.