Just realized my credit score jumped 40 points after fixing one old medical bill

I was checking my report for a home loan pre-approval and saw a $600 medical collection from 2020 that I had paid but never followed up on. I sent a goodwill letter to the collection agency asking them to remove it, and they actually agreed. Do you think paying for delete is always worth the effort, or should you just let old paid items age off naturally?

4 comments

4 Comments

the_sean23d ago

Nice work getting that delete. For a home loan, it's always worth trying because that old paid collection can still mess with your rates, even if it's small. The seven year wait is a long time when you're trying to buy now. I'd say send the letters, worst they can say is no.

richard_young8023d ago

Yeah, that "feels like magic" part is so true.

phoenixk6423d ago

Honestly, it's a lot of work for something that falls off in seven years anyway. Most lenders care more about your current payment history than one old, paid collection.

fionam1123d ago

Totally worth it, that's a huge win! I had a similar thing with a small utility bill that went to collections after I moved. Wrote a letter, they took it off my report, and my score shot up like 30 points almost right away. It feels like magic when it works.