How many years dose a dept last?

Answer 1

If you mean debt on your credit report the answer is about seven years from the date the creditor stops reporting it. If it's bad debt, the creditor may report for at least five years actively. Then you have seven years from THAT date until it falls off your file. Realize this: some companies sell of bad debt to third party collection agencies which prolongs the amount of time it will show on your credit file. For example: Capital One issues you a credit card. You charge it and never pay. They report you as a P&L (profit and loss writeoff). They enter that on your file. After a year they sell it off to Company A at 60 cents on the dollar. Company A then attempts to collect the debt. The enter a tradeline on your credit file. Now you have two. Meanwhile, Capital One is still reporting. If Company A cannot collect the debt they too show as a P&L. They sell the account to a clearninghouse at 30 cents on the dollar. The clearinghouse now enters a tradeline on your credit file. Now you have three. Meanwhile as the clearninghouse tries to collect the debt you have three tradelines all reporting derogatory on your credit file. Moral of the story - pay your bills.