How Long Will Bankruptcy Remain on my Credit Report?

Although most people who end up filing for Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 need to do so because of an immediate crisis like a foreclosure, wage garnishment or even harassing phone calls, our attorneys and paralegals usually do get questions about how long a bankruptcy will remain on the debtor's credit reports.

Credit reporting agencies are private companies and each of the three major agencies has its own policies.  The Fair Credit Reporting Act provides that a bankruptcy can remain on your credit report for as long as 10 years.  We usually find that the credit reporting agencies report Chapter 13 for seven years and Chapter 7 for the full ten years.

Cleveland bankruptcy lawyer Justin Smith recently published an informative post on his Cleveland Bankruptcy Law blog entitled "Ohio Credit Concerns: How Long Will a Bankruptcy Filing Stay on my Credit Report?"   In his blog post, Justin explains in some detail about bankruptcy and credit reporting and why your credit will look better the further in time you go from your filing date.

Thanks to Justin for providing the following addresses and phone numbers:

To get your free credit report you can write or call:

Annual Credit Report Request Service
PO Box 105281
Atlanta, GA 30348-5281
1(877) 322-8228

You can also contact any of the credit bureaus directly by clicking on the links below or calling the number listed:

Visit Equifax or call 1(800) 685-1111
Visit Experian or call 1(888) 397-3742
Visit TransUnion or call 1(800) 916-8800