Short answer: information that is wrong, incomplete, can’t be verified, or is past the time limit the law sets. Accurate, current information stays, no matter who disputes it.
The rule that decides most disputes
Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, when you dispute an item, the credit bureau must investigate. If the item turns out to be inaccurate or incomplete, or the bureau can’t verify it, the bureau must delete it or correct it. The investigation generally has to finish within 30 days of the bureau receiving your dispute, or 45 days if you send more information during that period.
That gives three kinds of items a real chance of coming off:
- Wrong: an account that isn’t yours, a late payment in a month you paid on time, a balance or status that doesn’t match your records.
- Incomplete: an account shown as open with a balance after it was paid, settled or discharged.
- Unverifiable: the company that reported it doesn’t respond or can’t back it up when the bureau checks.
How long accurate negative items can stay
Even accurate items have an end date. For most negative information, including collections and charged-off accounts, the limit is seven years. For collections and charge-offs, the clock starts 180 days after the delinquency that led to them, not on the date a collector bought the debt. Bankruptcy cases can be reported for up to ten years.
| Item | Can be reported for up to |
|---|---|
| Late payments and other adverse account information | 7 years |
| Collections and charge-offs | 7 years, counted from 180 days after the delinquency began |
| Bankruptcy cases | 10 years |
If an item is still on your report past its limit, that’s an error you can dispute. Paying off a collection doesn’t remove it; it should be updated to show it’s paid.
What usually doesn’t come off
- A late payment that really happened and is reported correctly.
- A hard inquiry from a company you applied with.
- A collection or charge-off that is accurate and within the time limit.
A company that says it can remove these is either planning to dispute accurate information as inaccurate, which the FTC warns against, or promising something it can’t deliver.
Doing it yourself
Get your free reports from all three bureaus at AnnualCreditReport.com, mark each item you believe is wrong, and dispute it with every bureau that reports it, online or by mail. Include copies (not originals) of anything that supports your side, and keep a record of what you sent and when.
Sources: Fair Credit Reporting Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1681c(a) and (c) (reporting time limits) and § 1681i(a) (disputes and reinvestigation); Credit Repair Organizations Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1679c. Checked November 2026. This guide is general information, not legal advice.