Unpopular opinion: paying off collections immediately is overrated

Honestly, I see everyone on here saying to just settle or pay off old debts as fast as possible. But I waited 2 years on a $300 medical bill and it dropped off my report completely without me paying a dime. Has anyone else just let the 7 year clock run on small stuff?

3 comments

3 Comments

charles_mitchell1mo ago

Learned this one the hard way after panicking and paying a $150 cable bill from 2015 that would've fallen off in like 6 months. My credit score literally didn't budge after I paid it, just wasted money I could've spent on tacos. Now I just set a reminder on my phone to check the date and let the small stuff rot if it's already a couple years old. Only exception is if I actually need a loan or house soon, then yeah I'll bite the bullet.

williams.sage1mo ago

My coworker literally paid a $200 utility bill from 2014 last month because she was scared and her score went down 10 points for "new activity." She was SO mad.

sandra_bennett591mo ago

Have you ever had a collections agency come after you for wages or a bank account though? That's a risk I'm not willing to take to save a couple hundred bucks.