This was taken directly from the FTC.gov web site! http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/credit/bbcr.htm#s1 Seven-year Reporting Period There is a standard method for calculating the seven-year reporting period. Generally, the period runs from the date that the event took place. With regard to any delinquent account placed for collectionâ??internally or by referral to a third-party debt collector, whichever is earlierâ??charged to profit and loss, or subjected to any similar action, the seven-year period is calculated from the date of the delinquency that occurred immediately before the collection activity, charge to profit and loss, or similar action. For example, assume that your payments on a loan were late in January, but that you caught up in February. You were late again in May, but caught up in July. You were again late in September, but did not catch up before the account was turned over to a collection agency in December. You made no more payments on the account, and it is charged to profit and loss in July of the following year. Under the FCRA, the January and May late payments each can be reported for seven years. The collection activity and the charge to profit and loss can be reported for seven years from the date of the September payment, which was the delinquency that occurred immediately before those activities.
