How to Remove Bankruptcy From Your Credit

Forget about all the ads you see from the credit repair firms. The only way to legally and ethically remove a bankruptcy from your credit reports is to allow the information to become outdated. The Fair Credit Reporting Act, a federal law, requires bankruptcies to be listed on your report for 10 years. That's obviously a long time, but your credit may bounce back quicker than you think. According to Microsoft Money, many people successfully rebuild their credit just three or four years after bankruptcy, with some gaining new credit almost immediately.

Instructions

1

Get copies of your credit reports from Annual Credit Report. (See resources.) The website offers free credit reports as mandated by the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Request reports from each of the three nationwide credit bureaus: TransUnion, Equifax and Experian. View and print the reports online or follow instructions on the home page for ordering by mail or telephone.

2

Review each report to note the date the bankruptcy was initially listed. Determine if the entry has become outdated because it has been reported for more than 10 years.

3

Challenge the outdated information by writing letters to all three credit bureaus. In your letter, note that your bankruptcy occurred more than 10 years ago and by law must be removed from your report. Send the letters to the respective credit bureaus. Find their addresses on the reports. Then await a response, which should come within about 30 days.