text: how long does a closed account (credit card) - unpaid, stay on my credit report? back in the day when they just mailed out credit cards i was 18. my first credit card. my parents never told me about them and i was moving out of their house. i took the card, even tho i had no job. what can i say i was young and stupid.now they are tyring to collect. they are saying that it has to be paid in full.i have been a stay at home mom with no income of my own. i have been paying my bills slowly over the years on my husbands income. now this credit card bill is over 4k. i was wondering how long is this going to stay on my credit report and how long are they going (or legally) able to collect this debt?  on another note, i just got a job starting tomorrow. this credit card co. called me for the first time in a few years and asked when i would pay this debt. i said when i get paid, they said "so you never plan to pay this account" i never said that i wouldn't pay, just not until i get a pay check. they fought with me over the phone and kept repeating "so you never plan to pay." thank you for the information on your situation...it's a bit easier to give good advice that will help.  first, my "battle cry".  when you are about to repair your credit history, or do battle with collection agencies, knowledge of the law is your only weapon!  do not fight these jerks unarmed!!!  read the links i supplied below.  as i understand it, you got this credit card before you got married?  that's good, because they can't go after your husbands income.  the very first thing you need to do is write a letter to the collection agencies that are bothering you.  use the sample letters in the links below.  by law, if you tell them to stop bothering you, they must stop all contact.  but be warned, you are basically telling them to either sue you or back off.    if your debt isn't that big they will most likely leave you alone.  the credit report will remain on your records for 7 years from the time you defaulted on the last payment.  there are ways to get it removed from the records, or at least limit the impact.  they can sue you if the debt is not that old.  the "statute of limitations" varies from state to state.  most are 6 years.  after that the can't sue you, but they can still mess up your credit history.  you are in a better situation because your debts are before you got married.  live off your husbands credit for now.    when i got married, my wife came with a lot of debt baggage.  they were after her for trailer payments, and loans made with her past marriage.  she was getting 2-3 credit letters a month and was a nervous wreck.  the jerks even found my phone number and began calling us up.  but what they didn't know was..... i was armed!  i knew the law.  i knew how to handle these jerks!  the calls and letters stopped.  i cleaned up her credit history and now she has a credit card of her own and a good rating.    i'm not a credit counsoler, got no legal experience.  i just know where to look for information. now you do too!  write me if you need encouragement.  your situation isn't bad at all.