The answer depends on your issuer's policies. It may be possible to reopen a closed credit card. In general, it's more likely to be an option if the card was closed for a minor reason, such as an inactivity, or if you closed it yourself.
You can ask them—very politely—what it would take to have the charge-off removed. At the very least, they'll likely ask you to pay back a portion of what you owe. In this situation, some creditors may offer a “Pay for Delete” agreement. Bear in mind that some, but not all, creditors allow this type of agreement.
The answer is yes. There may be a couple card companies that won't, like American express but most will.
Can a collection agency open an old debt as new? A collection agency can't report an old debt as new. If your creditor sells an old debt to an agency, the timeline simply continues from where it left off.
Keep in mind that making a partial payment or acknowledging you owe an old debt, even after the statute of limitations expired, may restart the time period. It may also be affected by terms in the contract with the creditor or if you moved to a state where the laws differ.
The term “charge-off” means the business that gave you the loan, typically a card company or retailer, has written off the amount owed as uncollectable, closed your account, and declared it a loss. But you still owe the debt. And there will be considerable damage to your credit score.
Most companies are willing to settle for 30 to 50 percent of the total debt. I was able to settle on the mid-to-upper end of that range. Be aware that settling a debt for less than the full amount can negatively impact your credit score, but that's temporary—it will begin rebounding after six months to two years.
How long will the charge-off stay on credit reports? Similar to late payments and other information on your credit reports that's considered negative, a charged-off account will remain on credit reports up to seven years from the date of the first missed or late payment on the charged-off account.
Debt relief plans can help make your payments more manageable, but they're not right for everyone. It's important for you to understand how each plan or program works and how debt relief can affect your finances.
2) What is the 609 loophole? The “609 loophole” is a misconception. Section 609 of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) allows consumers to request their credit file information. It does not guarantee the removal of negative items but requires credit bureaus to verify the accuracy of disputed information.
A charge-off means your account is written off as a loss. At this point, the account may be assigned or sold to a debt collection agency. The debt collector can then take action against you to try to get you to pay.
If a customer is accidentally charged the wrong amount or if a charge is processed more than once for the same purchase, an authorization reversal can serve as a quick and easy way to reverse the erroneous transaction. More often than not, the customer will never even know about the mistake.
Can a Charged Off Loan be Reinstated? Once a loan is charged off, don't count on the loan showing up on the company's books again. Even if you offer to pay it, chances are it's been transferred or sold and the original company no longer has an interest in it.
You can be sued by a creditor after a charge-off, up to a defined statute of limitations, which varies by state and by the type of debt. In most states, the statute of limitations for suing for an unpaid debt is three to six years.
All charge-offs fall off the credit report after seven years. If you want it removed before that, you can ask for a goodwill adjustment or try negotiating a pay-for-deletion agreement. While neither option is guaranteed, it doesn't hurt to try.
Fortunately, you might qualify for a second-chance credit card with no security deposit. If you have bad credit, second chance credit cards may help you improve your credit health. But as unsecured credit cards, they don't require that you put any money down upfront to secure the line of credit.
It's best to pay a charge-off in full rather than settle an account. Remember, settling an account is considered negative because you're paying less than you owe. Consequently, settling an account is likely to harm your credit scores.
In some cases, you may be able to settle for much less than that 50.7% average. Collectors holding old debts may be willing to settle for 20% or even less. The statute of limitations clock starts from the date the debt first became delinquent.
In a Nutshell
Though there's no set timeline, you can expect legal action after six months of nonpayment. While there are no guarantees, you're less likely to be sued if you owe less than $2,000.
Credit card debt forgiveness is rare, but your credit card issuer may be willing to negotiate with you. You can also consider debt relief options like finding a nonprofit credit counseling organization to help you resolve debts in a manageable way with less stress.
A charge-off is generally considered worse than a collection for your credit. With collections, you typically have more negotiating power for getting them removed from your credit report.
You can limit the damage of a closed account by paying off the balance. This can help even if you have to do so over time. Any account in good standing is better than one which isn't.
It may be possible to reopen a closed credit card account, depending on the credit card issuer, as well as why and how long ago your account was closed. But there's no guarantee that the credit card issuer will reopen your account. For example, Discover says it won't reopen closed accounts at all.