How Long Before a Credit Score Goes Up After a Judgment Is Paid?

Credit card use can improve your credit score--or damage it.

Credit score damage occurs quickly with even one delinquent payment or judgment, but repair takes a long time. Formal legal decisions reflecting bad debt management can result in multiple years of bad credit scores. A credit score frequently will not improve until the negative mark has been removed.

Time

Delinquencies, such as missing payments, will damage your credit score. Actual court judgments result in more severe credit penalties. A bad credit score typically lasts a minimum of seven years. However, some bankruptcies or tax liens can have a negative effect on your credit score for 10 to 15 years.

Repair

You can actively improve misrepresented credit information. Negative information on your record lasts for a set period of time, with the clock starting when the new data is introduced. Some collectors keep updating debt data to restart the credit score clock. You can force reporting agencies to fix these mistakes, reducing the length of time a bad score will appear on your credit report.

Considerations

While a judgment cannot be removed, taking actions that improve a credit score can help. Paying off remaining debt, showing on-time payment ability with existing credit lines, and protecting credit that is available can all help improve your credit score.

References

• Credit Solution Repair: 10 Credit Articles on Credit Repair
• Credit Infocenter: How Long to Negative Items Stay on My Credit Report?
• Bankrate: 6 Steps to Rebuilding Your Credit Score
• Bankrate: Credit Damage May Last Beyond 7 Years

Resources

• Federal Trade Commission: Building A Better Credit Report