 TITLE: What Happens If I Stop Paying My Credit Cards? CONTENT: Your Credit Score May Take a Hit\n--------------------------------\nA card issuer can report your late payment to the credit bureaus—Experian, TransUnion and Equifax—once your account is 30 days past due.\nYour payment history is the most important scoring factor in your credit score, and a late credit card payment can hurt your creditworthiness and lower your scores. The exact number of points you'll lose will vary depending on your overall credit profile.\nGenerally, people who have good to excellent credit lose the most points from a new late payment. Those who have poor credit may also experience a score drop, but it likely won't drop by as many points if their score already reflects a history of missed payments.\nThe card issuer can continue to report your account as late if you don't bring it current. Your credit report will reflect these updates and notes if you were at least 30, 60, 90, 120, 150 or 180 days late.\nLate payments stay on your credit report for up to seven years and continue to impact your scores during the entire period. END