How long each item can stay on your report
- Foreclosure: the CFPB says it generally remains for seven years from the date of the foreclosure.
- Late payments, a short sale, a deed in lieu and most other negative items: federal law limits most negative information to seven years.
- Bankruptcy: up to ten years. The law sets the same ten-year limit for every kind of bankruptcy case.
- A court judgment: seven years, or until the time limit for collecting on it runs out, whichever is longer.
These limits do not apply when a report is pulled for a loan of $150,000 or more, life insurance of $150,000 or more, or a job paying $75,000 or more a year. So an old foreclosure can still appear when you apply for a mortgage of that size.
Good history stays too. Accounts you paid as agreed can be reported for longer than seven years, even after they are closed.
What it does to your score
The CFPB says plainly that a foreclosure will hurt your credit, and that scoring models look at whether you have had a foreclosure, a bankruptcy or a debt sent to collection, and how long ago. No government source we could find gives a reliable number of points, so be wary of any website that does.
Payment history is the biggest factor in most credit scores. That means the missed payments that come before a foreclosure hurt as well as the foreclosure itself, and paying your other bills on time afterward is what rebuilds the score.
Is a short sale or deed in lieu better for your credit?
The CFPB says a short sale and a deed in lieu typically cost less and take less time than a foreclosure, and can also do less damage to your credit. It does not say how much less. If the home is worth more than you owe, the CFPB says selling it is typically better for your money and your credit than any of the three.
Lenders also treat them differently when you apply for a new mortgage. See buying a home after foreclosure.
Forbearance, deferral and modification
If you stop paying without an agreement, the servicer reports the missed payments. The CFPB tells homeowners that a servicer can report that an account is in forbearance, and that an account that was current going in should still be reported as current. We could not find a current rule that guarantees how every forbearance, deferral or modification agreed today is reported, so ask your servicer in writing how it will report yours before you sign, and check your credit reports afterward.
Check your reports for free
- The FTC says Equifax, Experian and TransUnion now let you check your report from each once a week for free at AnnualCreditReport.com, the only authorized site. You can also call 1-877-322-8228.
- Federal law separately guarantees one free report from each every 12 months.
- You can get an extra free report if you ask within 60 days of being turned down for credit, insurance or a job because of your report.
- These are reports, not scores.
How to fix an error
- Dispute it in writing with the credit bureau. Say what is wrong and why, and send copies (not originals) of your proof. The bureau must investigate for free and generally finish within 30 days. That can stretch by up to 15 days if you send more information during the 30 days.
- The bureau must pass your dispute to the company that reported the item within 5 business days, and that company has to investigate too.
- The bureau must send you the result in writing within 5 business days of finishing. An item it cannot verify has to be removed or corrected.
- You can also dispute directly with the servicer. Send the letter to the address shown for it on your credit report, name the account, say exactly what is wrong, and include proof.
- If the dispute with the bureau does not fix it, you can add a short statement to your file, and you can complain to the CFPB at (855) 411-2372.
If the servicer's own records are wrong, for example it shows payments as missed that you made, also send it a notice of error. See how to complain about your servicer.
Avoid credit repair promises
Nobody has the right to remove accurate negative information from a credit report. The CFPB warns against paying upfront fees for credit repair. Everything on this page you can do yourself for free.
How much time do you have? It depends on your state.
See the foreclosure timeline, deadlines and free local help for the state where the home is.
Common questions
Does the foreclosure disappear from my file after seven years?
It generally stops being reported after seven years. The CFPB notes that the credit bureaus may still keep older information on file, and the time limits do not apply to reports pulled for a loan of $150,000 or more.
Does Chapter 13 come off sooner than Chapter 7?
The federal law sets one limit, ten years, for every bankruptcy case. Anything shorter would be a credit bureau's own practice, which we could not confirm. See Chapter 13.
Can I buy a home again?
Yes. The CFPB says it is possible to qualify for a mortgage after a foreclosure. Each loan type has its own waiting period. See buying a home after foreclosure.
Keep reading
- What to do firstThe earlier you act, the more options you have. These are the first six things to do, in order, whether you are about to miss a payment or are already a few months behind.
- A sale date is setA sale date means time is short, not that it has run out. Each option below has its own cutoff, so the order you act in matters. Start today.
- Avoid foreclosure rescue scamsPeople facing foreclosure are a target. Federal law bans most upfront fees for mortgage relief, so any company that asks to be paid before you have an offer from your servicer is breaking the rules.
- Your federal rightsFederal rules (Regulation X) set the floor in every state. They do not force your servicer to approve any option, but they control when it can start a foreclosure and how it must handle your application.
- Help by loan typeYour servicer collects the payments, but the rules for what it can offer you come from whoever owns or insures the loan. Find that out first.
- Taxes after foreclosureThe IRS treats a foreclosure as a sale, and forgiven debt is usually income. The main home exclusion many people relied on has expired for most 2026 cases, but insolvency and bankruptcy exclusions still apply.
Sources
- 15 U.S.C. § 1681c, how long items may be reported (govinfo)
- CFPB: Can I buy a home again after a foreclosure? What it does to your credit report
- CFPB: How long does information stay on my credit report?
- CFPB: What is a credit score?
- CFPB: How do I get and keep a good credit score?
- CFPB: Avoid foreclosure
- CFPB: Manage your money during forbearance
- FTC: Free credit reports (June 2026)
- 15 U.S.C. § 1681i, disputes with a credit bureau (govinfo)
- 12 C.F.R. § 1022.43, direct disputes with the company that reported (eCFR)
- CFPB: How do I dispute an error on my credit report?
- FTC: Disputing errors on your credit reports