How long do things stay on my credit report, both good and bad?

Most negative items stay on your credit report for seven years from the date of the first missed payment, including late payments, charge-offs, collections, and Chapter 13 bankruptcy. A Chapter 7 bankruptcy remains for ten years. Hard inquiries stay about two years but only affect your score for around one year. Positive information is more generous: open accounts in good standing can remain indefinitely, and closed accounts paid as agreed often stay for up to ten years, which helps your average account age. Time steadily reduces the impact of old negatives even before they fall off. You can verify the dates on your free reports at AnnualCreditReport.com and dispute anything that lingers past its legal window.