Just found out a missed payment from 3 years ago is still tanking my score

I was checking my credit report on Credit Karma last night and saw a 30-day late payment from 2022 on an old store card I barely used. I thought those fell off after 2 years but apparently for FICO they stick around for 7. Has anyone else had luck getting a goodwill removal letter to work for something this old?

3 comments

3 Comments

grantp141mo ago

That 7-year rule caught me off guard too actually. I had a $45 late fee on a guitar center card from 2019 (bought a cheap amp I barely used) and it stuck around way longer than I expected. I tried the goodwill letter route with Capital One and after 3 tries they finally removed it, so it can work but you gotta be persistent. My advice is to write the letter like you're confessing to your mom that you forgot to take out the trash (humble, honest, and a little pathetic). Just brace yourself for the possibility they'll say "too bad" and you're stuck watching your score drop 30 points every time you check Credit Karma.

the_jennifer1mo ago

wait, THREE tries?? i woulda given up after the first rejection for sure lol. you got some serious patience doing that 3 times, my adhd could never

avery_flores171mo ago

Are you telling me you actually wrote a letter that made you sound like you forgot to take out the trash for three rounds? @grantp14 that's dedication right there, I'd probably just throw my phone in a river after the first no. My ADHD ass would have given up after the first try and just accepted a life of bad credit and shame.