How Long Does It Take To Rebuild Credit?

Typically, it takes at least 3-6 months of good credit behavior to see a noticeable change in your credit score. It is difficult to make a change any faster, unless the negative information on your credit report was a minor blip, like being late with bill payments one month.

While it is impossible to put a specific time frame on credit repair, it is safe to say the less negative information you have on your report – late payments, maxed out credit cards, constant credit applications, bankruptcy, etc. – the easier it is to repair your credit score.

It takes more time to repair a bad credit score than it does to build a good one. Mistakes penalize your credit score and can prevent you from being approved for a loan. Though there are lenders that offer loans with bad credit, they end up costing hundreds or thousands of dollars in higher interest rates when borrowing. A poor credit score also can be a roadblock to renting an apartment, setting up utilities, and maybe even getting a job!

You are not going to lose nearly as many points if you are late with one payment as you will if you are delinquent for several months to the point where your account has been turned over to a collection agency. The severity of the second situation is far greater than the first and your score will reflect that.

Here are some time frames for negative information that detracts from your credit score.

• A delinquent account remains on your credit report for seven years.
• Car repossession stays on your report for seven years.
• Chapter 7 bankruptcy is on your report for 10 years. Chapter 13 remains for seven years.
• Credit application inquiries remain on your report for two years.
• Public record items such as property liens are on your report seven years.

Remember that the damage to your credit score diminishes over time. So, for example, a Chapter 13 bankruptcy in Year Six has negligible impact when compared to its effect in Year One.