A charge-off is a negative mark on a credit report that indicates that a creditor has given up on collecting a debt that you owe. This typically happens when you have not made any payments on the debt for an extended period of time, usually around six months or more. The creditor may have tried to collect the debt and has been unsuccessful, so they write it off as uncollectible in their books.
If you continue to miss payments, the debt is considered delinquent and may be sent to an internal collections department or sold to a third-party debt collection agency. The debt collector will then attempt to collect the debt from you. However, if their efforts are unsuccessful, the debt may be charged off as bad debt. The length of time it takes for a debt to be charged off depends on the type of account and can be 120 or 180 days after you stop making payments. This information is also noted on your credit report.
A charge-off means that the lender or creditor has written off the account as a loss and it is closed to future charges. The debt may be sold to a debt buyer or transferred to a collection agency, but you are still legally obligated to pay the debt.
What happens when you have a charge-off?
When you have a charge-off on your credit report, it can have serious negative consequences for your credit score and your financial future. A charge-off will lower your credit score, making it more difficult for you to obtain credit in the future. It can also make it more expensive to borrow money, as lenders will charge higher interest rates to compensate for the increased risk of lending to someone with a lower credit score.
How much can a charge-off affect your credit?
A charge-off can have a significant negative impact on your credit score. Payment history is a major factor in determining credit scores, and missed payments can significantly damage your credit. If an account is charged off, it will lower your credit score even further. If the account is in collections, it can also lower your credit scores. Not paying a collection agency can further damage your credit, as the agency can report missed payments to the credit bureaus.
Late and missed payments hurt your credit scores more than any other single factor. The longer a bill remains unpaid, the more it will damage your credit scores. A payment that’s 30 days late can significantly hurt your score, and the damage gets worse if the bill remains unpaid after 60, 90, and so on. A charge-off typically occurs after six consecutive months of delinquency-related score reductions, so your score is likely already in poor shape by that point. The exact number of points a charge-off will lower your credit score depends on the scoring system used (FICO or VantageScore, for instance), your score before the charge-off, and how many other negative entries are on your credit report.
In general, a charge-off adds to the damage already done to your credit score by delinquent payments. By the time a debt is charged off, the months of missed payments leading up to it have already harmed your credit history.
However, if you demonstrate responsible credit use going forward, such as making on-time payments and being proactive about your debt, the effects of derogatory marks on your credit reports can begin to decrease after about two years. The Fair Credit Reporting Act also gives you the right to have negative information like a charge-off removed from your credit reports after seven years.
Should you pay a charged-off account?
Whether or not you should pay a charged-off account will depend on your specific circumstances. If you have the financial means to pay the debt, it may be in your best interest to do so. This is because paying off a charged-off debt can help to improve your credit score and financial standing.
However, if you are unable to pay the debt, it may not be worth the financial strain to try to do so. In this case, it may be more beneficial to focus on improving your financial situation and building up your credit over time.
How to pay charged-off accounts
If you decide to pay a charged-off account, you will need to contact the creditor or the collection agency that is handling the debt. You will need to negotiate a payment plan or make a one-time payment to settle the debt. It is important to get any payment arrangements in writing to avoid misunderstandings.
How do you remove a charge-off from your credit reports?
A charge-off will remain on your credit reports for up to seven years from the date of the charge-off. It is not possible to remove a charge-off from your credit reports before this time period has elapsed. However, there are steps you can take to improve your credit score and financial situation while you are waiting for the charge-off to fall off your credit reports.
How can you negotiate a charge-off removal?
It is possible to negotiate with your creditor or the collection agency to have a charge-off removed from your credit reports. However, this is not a guarantee, as the creditor or collection agency is under no obligation to agree to your request.
If you want to negotiate a charge-off removal, here are some steps you can follow:
- Determine the owner of the debt: You will need to know if the creditor or a collection agency owns the debt. If it is a collection agency, you will need to negotiate with them.
- Find out details about the debt: You will need to know the exact amount of the debt, the date it was charged off, and any other relevant information.
- Offer a settlement amount: You can try to negotiate a settlement on the debt by offering to pay a reduced amount in exchange for having the charge-off removed from your credit reports. A good starting point would be to offer to replay 25% of the amount owed.
- Request a ‘pay-for-delete’ agreement: You can try to negotiate a pay-for-delete agreement, where you agree to pay the debt in exchange for the creditor or collection agency agreeing to remove the charge-off from your credit reports.
- Get the entire agreement in writing: It is important to get any agreements in writing to avoid misunderstandings. Make sure to get a copy of the agreement for your records.
Do you pay taxes when removing a charge-off?
In most cases, you will not have to pay taxes when removing a charge-off from your credit reports. However, if you negotiate a settlement on the debt and the creditor agrees to accept less than the full amount owed, the forgiven debt may be considered taxable income. When a debt is settled a 1099-C form is issued from the creditor as long as the amount paid to the creditor or collector includes a savings off the balance of $600 or more. It is important to consult with a tax professional to determine if this applies to your specific situation.
FAQ
How bad is a charge-off?
A charge-off is a very negative mark on a credit report and can have serious consequences for your credit score and financial future. It can lower your credit score significantly, making it more difficult and more expensive to borrow money in the future.
Do charge-offs go away after 7 years?
Yes, a charge-off will typically fall off your credit reports after seven years from the date of the charge-off. However, the impact of the charge-off on your credit score will gradually decrease over time as it gets older.
Is a charge-off worse than a collection?
In general, a charge-off is considered to be worse than a collection on a credit report. This is because a charge-off indicates that the creditor has given up on collecting the debt and is hard to remove, while a collection indicates that the creditor is still actively trying to collect the debt and might be open to negotiations.
