They probably don't.
seven years
7 Years from the DLA.
Bankruptcy would be more credit damaging than just having large credit card debt, mainly because it stays on your credit report for longer. One of the biggest disadvantages of filing for bankruptcy is the lasting effect it has on your credit report- typically staying on your report for 7-10 years. With credit card debt there are more flexible options and obviously when you pay the debt and does not stay on your report for as long.
Yes. The legal action is terminated by the automatic stay. However, whether the credit card debt is discharged depends on how recently the card was used and for what.
Your sister should not be paying on the credit card balance. In fact, the credit card company cannot even legally send her statements because she is protected by the automatic stay.
An account is no longer reported after a period of 7 years of inactivity in the USA; 6 years in Canada.
A debt will stay on your credit report for seven years after the date that you were originally delinquent on the account. After seven years, this debt is taken off of the account.
If card is paid off, there is no longer a debt existing on that account. The debt is a 0 balance. Keep the account open anyway , even though you do not use it! This helps your credit score stay up. If you close an account that you no longer use, your credit score drops a bit & loses some points. So no, do not close an account even when it is paid off. It reflects good on your credit report. If you have to, cut the card in half, to keep yourself from shopping with that card.
Why bother fixing your credit? If you're debt free, just stay that way. Forget the credit card; all that will do is put you back in debt. Just save up for things you want. If you absolutely feel you must have plastic, get a debit card, which is tied in to your checking account. That way you can't charge more than what's in your account. You don't really NEED credit. You can purchase a car and even a house without it.
It is always best NOT to cancel a credit card unless your debt to income ratio is too high. As long as you have no annual fees or any other "junk" fees with the credit card in question it is best to take your balance to $0 and put the credit card away in a safe deposit box or somewhere will it will not be stolen. The longer you have a credit card in good standing ( no late fees payments on time etc) it helps your credit. The credit card company will usually raise your credit limit which will help other low intrest cards also raise your limit when they review your credit history. In short YES canceling your card Can HURT YOUR CREDIT.
Closing an account may help your overall FICO score, but only because your available debt would decrease. The late payments stay on your record regardless if the account is open or closed.
If you currently have a credit card, it may be time that you got rid of it. It is not necessarily a good idea to keep credit cards, especially if you are in debt and trying to get out. Credit cards should only be used in emergency situations when an unexpected expense comes up. Other than that, you should not be using your card to go grocery shopping with or to buy yourself a shirt at the local store. In order to stay out of debt, it is a wise idea to get rid of any credit card that you may have.