 TITLE: How to Fight an Eviction CONTENT: Protect Yourself and Your Credit\n--------------------------------\nEven though evictions don't appear in your credit history, they can still damage your credit and finances. Landlords may sell your account to a collection agency; if the collection account is reported to the credit bureaus, it will stay on your credit report for seven years and have a negative impact on your credit score.\nIf a landlord sues you for unpaid rent and wins a judgment, the court could garnish your wages. Judgments don't appear on credit reports, but they do appear in the public record and may show up in other types of consumer reports. Evictions are also part of your rental history report, which landlords may review when considering your rental application.\nMany Americans are still struggling financially due to the pandemic. If you're one of them, getting credit counseling can help you pay down debt and get your finances back on track. Monitoring your credit regularly can help you understand what factors may be affecting your credit score and how you can improve it going forward. END