Will having a debt collector after me lower my credit score? (2024)

FAQs

Will having a debt collector after me lower my credit score? ›

This one is easy—YES! Having a debt in collections will definitely affect your credit score.

So, how many points does a collection drop your credit score? If you have a high score of 700, you can expect the first collection to drop it over 100 points. If it's lower than 700, expect even more.

Will paying off the balances owed on my third-party collections increase my FICO® Scores? Paying off a collection could cause the score to increase, decrease or have no impact at all. It depends on the change in the information reported on the collection as well as the other information in the credit report.

Debt settlement can eliminate outstanding obligations, but it can negatively impact your credit score. Stronger credit scores may be more significantly impacted by a debt settlement. The best type of debt to settle is a single large obligation that is one to three years past due.

It's possible that you could see your credit scores drop after fulfilling your payment obligations on a loan or credit card debt. Paying off debt might lower your credit scores if removing the debt affects certain factors like your credit mix, the length of your credit history or your credit utilization ratio.

With most credit scoring models, no, paying off collection accounts will not increase your credit score and the items will not drop off your credit reports. However, certain credit scoring models, like FICO Score 9 and VantageScore 3.0, ignore collection accounts with a balance of zero.

You should dispute a debt if you believe you don't owe it or the information and amount is incorrect. While you can submit your dispute at any time, sending it in writing within 30 days of receiving a validation notice, which can be your initial communication with the debt collector.

It is theoretically possible to get a 700 credit score with a collection account on your credit report. However, it is not common with traditional scoring models. A derogatory mark like a collection account on your credit report can make it incredibly difficult to obtain a good credit score like 700 or over.

If there are negative items on your credit report but the information is accurately reported, you can write a goodwill letter to ask the creditor or collection agency to remove the collections account from your report. This isn't guaranteed to work, but it won't hurt to ask.

Collections accounts generally stick to your credit reports for seven years from the point the account first went delinquent, even if the account has been paid in full.

Is it better to settle a debt or not pay at all? ›

Summary: Ultimately, it's better to pay off a debt in full than settle. This will look better on your credit report and help you avoid a lawsuit. If you can't afford to pay off your debt fully, debt settlement is still a good option.

The original creditor should inform you that your account is being sent to collections. If that happens, consider it a wakeup call. Dealing with an original creditor may offer the best opportunity to get on a friendlier payment plan or to settle the debt. Just know that settling a debt means paying a lump sum.

It is always better to pay off your debt in full if possible. While settling an account won't damage your credit as much as not paying at all, a status of "settled" on your credit report is still considered negative.

If you don't pay, the collection agency can sue you to try to collect the debt. If successful, the court may grant them the authority to garnish your wages or bank account or place a lien on your property. You can defend yourself in a debt collection lawsuit or file bankruptcy to stop collection actions.

In general, collections accounts stay on your credit report for up to seven years, even when they're paid off in full. That means that paid collections can continue to hurt your creditworthiness for that length of time. However, the impact of collection accounts on your score lessens with time.

It is theoretically possible to get a 700 credit score with a collection account on your credit report. However, it is not common with traditional scoring models. A derogatory mark like a collection account on your credit report can make it incredibly difficult to obtain a good credit score like 700 or over.

It might reduce the types, or 'mix,' of credit you have

But now you have one less account, and if all your remaining open accounts are credit cards, that hurts your credit mix. You may see a score dip — even though you did exactly what you agreed to do by paying off the loan.

While an account in collection can have a significant negative impact on your credit, it won't stay on your credit reports forever. Accounts in collection generally remain on your credit reports for seven years, plus 180 days from whenever the account first became past due.

Reasons why your credit score could have dropped include a missing or late payment, a recent application for new credit, running up a large credit card balance or closing a credit card.