Myth #1 When I pay off a past-due account, such as a charge off or a collection account, it will show “paid” and will no longer be negative. It is quite difficult to restore your credit without somehow satisfying your outstanding debts. However, the act of paying off a debt can actually hurt your credit. [...]

You could wait 7-10 years, at which point the items may fall off your report “naturally” via limitations. You can enter the complex “dispute process” yourself and attempt to deal with the credit agencies on your own. You can hire a professional credit score improvement firm to do the hard work for you. The first [...]