 TITLE: How Long Do Collections Stay on Your Credit Report? CONTENT: Can You Remove Collections Accounts From Your Credit Report?\n------------------------------------------------------------\nYou can't get a correctly reported collection account removed from your credit report early.\nEven if you pay off the debt, the collection account will stay on your credit report for up to seven years. The timeline depends on when your debt first went delinquent, not whether you still owe the money.\nHowever, if you notice an error with the collection account, you can file a dispute with each of the credit bureaus to have the account corrected or removed from your credit reports.\nFor example, if the collection agency doesn't send an update to the credit bureaus once you've paid off or settled the account, you may want to file a dispute.\nIf a collection account is removed from your credit reports early, the original account and late payments that led to the collection activity can remain. Those can continue to impact your credit, and the late payments will remain on your report for seven years from the date of first delinquency. END