How to Clear Old Adverse Credit Information Of More Than 7 Years

The information contained within your credit report is critical to your financial integrity. If you've had delinquencies in the past, you can look forward to the day when they will be removed from your credit history, leaving you with a clean report showing only accounts in good standing. After seven years, negative credit items (aside from bankruptcy or defaulted student loans) should disappear. If they still show up on your report, you can take a few steps to have them removed.

Instructions

1

Retrieve your credit report from all three credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion). Obtaining all three is critical, as they may not all contain the same information.

2

File a dispute online. Visit the credit bureau's website and fill out the online dispute application, providing information about yourself and the errors on your report. Include items like the creditor's name, your account number and the balance displayed on your report. For each disputed item, explain that it is more than seven years old and request that it be permanently removed from your report. You must file separate dispute reports with each credit bureau.

3

Send a letter of dispute to each of the credit bureaus. Include your full name, address, contact phone numbers and email address. For each of the disputed items, include the creditor's name, reported balance and account number, and note that the items are more than seven years old and you want them removed from your credit report. If you have any supporting documentation such as old credit card statements, letters from collection agencies or creditors, or a dated bank statement, send copies so that the investigator who receives your request can complete the dispute process more efficiently.

4

Wait 30 to 45 days for your dispute to be completed. Upon completion and approval, the credit reporting agency will send you an updated credit report in the mail. This updated version will reflect the changes that were made to your report. Typically, mailed-in dispute letters will be processed and completed within 30 days of their receipt, while disputes filed on the Internet can take up to 45 days to be processed and completed.