Learn · Reporting timelines
How Long Does An account settled for less than owed Stay on Your Credit Report?
The short answer
An account settled for less than owed generally stays on your credit reports for seven years from the date of first delinquency.
What that means in practice
"Settled" reads weaker than "paid in full" but stops the bleeding.
The rules behind the clock
The Fair Credit Reporting Act sets the standard seven-year limit for most negative items and ten years for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. The clock starts at the date of first delinquency and paying or settling does not restart it. Bureaus also apply their own voluntary policies on top, such as removing paid medical collections.
Check your own dates
Pull all three reports free at annualcreditreport.com, find the date of first delinquency on the tradeline, and count forward. Anything reporting past its limit is worth a dispute.
Related
Report review checklist generator · FCRA explained · The dispute process
Want guided help? Caleb Saunders is an independent member with FreedomPath, a financial-services company. Work with Caleb through FreedomPath (external link - opens his member page on freedompath.com)
Educational information only. Not financial, legal or credit-repair advice, and no outcome is promised. Verify current rules with the official sources linked below before acting.
Official sources: annualcreditreport.com (free weekly reports), consumerfinance.gov, ftc.gov.