Should I remove old closed accounts from my credit report?

[Sharon]

I have a few 6 and 7 years old, closed accounts on my credit report. Two are credit card accounts I no longer use and a couple of consolidated student loans that were closed automatically.

I’m working to improve my credit, so my question is should I file a dispute or something like this to remove them? Will it improve my credit once they’re gone?

[Stacy Wall]

You can’t remove them

You can’t simply remove items from your credit report. Old accounts are part of your credit history, and count in your FICO score.

With time, information does fall off your credit report. Most negative items remain on your credit report for 7 years, while closed accounts in good standing remain on your credit report for at least 10 years. They just don’t count as much in your FICO score as open, active accounts.

Closed accounts in good standing are positive history and improve your credit score. Removing them would adversely impact your credit.

More about closed accounts here. See this for a complete list of the credit report time frame limits.

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