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Added August 16, 2010 from: Mike Killian
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Answered By Mike Killian: A delinquent debt is usually written off by the
credit department after 3-4 months of non-payment depending on creditor policy.
This does not mean the debt disappears. Writing a debt off is merely an
accounting term that the creditor no longer keeps the debt on the books.
Sometimes this debt will be turned into collections. But the bottom line is this
debt continues to exist unless otherwise directed by a court such as in
bankruptcy.
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The debt remains on your credit report for about 7.5 years. There are occasions when an eager beaver collection agency will try to collect on a debt more than 7.5 years old, but once the threat of affecting your credit score has passed, there are really no teeth to bite you. Only while debts remain on your credit report do late payments and no payments adversely affect your credit score. Over 33 percent of your credit score is, in fact, based on whether or not you have a history of timely payments.
This question is about:
Credit Card Debt Help
| Credit Scores / Reports
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