If you are buying a home paying off collections will only hurt you instead of helping you?

Answer 1

The answer to this type of question depends on SO many factors.

Paying off collection accounts will not necessarily raise your credit score, which is what most consumers believe. The variable is the date the accounts were last reported (or updated) on your credit report. The date last reported, or "status" date is the date that causes collections and charge offs to impact your credit score. Anything, including legal items, late payments and collections/charge offs, updated within the last 12 month time frame, falls into the "history" category. This category accounts for 35% of your credit score.

So, if you have old collection accounts which have not been updated recently; paying them off will cause them to be a paid collection as of, well, NOW. If, on the other hand, your collection accounts ARE being updated to within the last 12 months (regardless of the last time you used the account), then paying them off will probably not cause deductions to your score and MAY raise it.

Certainly, 12 months from now, any collection account that is paid is better than an unpaid collection. The best scenario is to offer creditors a pay-for-delete. THAT would benefit both you and those whom you owe.