 TITLE: How to Recover From Bankruptcy CONTENT: Check Your Credit Reports\n-------------------------\nBegin your recovery plan with a clear understanding of where your credit stands. Do this by checking your credit reports, reviewing them for accuracy, and disputing any entries that need correction. This process will be slightly different depending on which type of bankruptcy you file.\n### Checking Your Credit Reports After Chapter 7\nIf you filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy, wait until your case is discharged—you'll receive a letter from the court informing you when that's done, usually no more than six months after your court filing. Wait 90 to 120 days after receiving the letter so your credit reports have time to update with the bankruptcy information, and then request your credit reports from all three national credit bureaus (Experian, Equifax and TransUnion). You can get a free Experian credit report every 30 days. You are also entitled to one free report a year from each of the three credit bureaus at AnnualCreditReport.com.\nReview your reports carefully for accuracy and dispute any entries that need correction, taking care to note that:\n*   All credit accounts covered under the bankruptcy are labeled \"discharged in bankruptcy\" (not \"charged off\") and list outstanding balances of zero dollars.\n*   If any debts were excluded from the bankruptcy filing, such as a mortgage, make sure they are not listed as discharged, and that payments are being reported.\n### Checking Your Credit Reports After Chapter 13\nIf you filed Chapter 13 bankruptcy, your case won't be discharged until the end of your three-to-five-year repayment period, so you can just wait 90 to 120 days after your bankruptcy filing to request your credit reports.\nThe status of accounts included in your Chapter 13 repayment plan may or may not be reflected in your credit report: Creditors are not obligated to report payments received during the Chapter 13 repayment period, but some do.\n*   Check to make sure payments to any accounts excluded from the bankruptcy settlement are being captured.\n*   Once your repayment period ends—two and a half to five years after you file Chapter 13, depending on the terms of your repayment plan—you'll receive a notice that your case has been discharged. Wait about 120 days and then check all your credit reports. Make sure all loans settled under the repayment plan are closed and list zero balances. END