(And What You Should Do Next) A charge-off means a creditor has written off your account as uncollectible — typically after 180 days of nonpayment. It appears on your credit report as a severe delinquency and stays there for up to 7 years. But a charge-off does not erase your debt. You still owe the

Bad credit — generally a FICO score of 579 or below — affects loan approvals, interest rates, rental applications, and insurance premiums. But bad credit is not permanent. It is fixable through a combination of disputing inaccurate reporting under the FCRA, validating debts under the FDCPA, lowering balances, and building new positive credit history. Most