What if a creditor is showing up on my credit report after filing bankruptcy?

Often times after filing bankruptcy, your credit report may show creditors who you included in your bankruptcy. Verify that you've listed the creditor in your paperwork. If so, here are the best ways to make sure your credit report stays clear of discharged debts. This will definitely assist you in building your credit in the future.

• After filing bankruptcy, it may take several months for your credit report to show that your debts have been discharged in bankruptcy. You may need to wait until you receive discharge for everything to completely clear up. This takes about 3 months.

• Make sure you are looking at a current credit report. You can get 1 free copy from each of the 3 credit bureaus each year at annualcreditreport.com or call 1-877-322-8228.

• You can write a letter to any of the credit reporting bureaus or file a dispute online at https://www.myfico.com/ccc/correctionoverview/transunion-experian-equifaxdispute.aspx

• Also, if you’re willing to put up with advertisements, Credit Karma (creditkarma.com) offers free weekly credit reports from two of the reporting bureaus, an easy way to dispute errors, and weekly credit scores. They also tell you how you can improve your credit.

• When disputing errors, please indicate that you filed bankruptcy and that the creditor was included in the process. You may need to provide your case number or notice of filing or discharge.

• If a certain creditor continues to show up on your credit report after filing a dispute, contact your St. Louis bankruptcy attorney for additional options which can help clear your credit and ensure you can free your future from your past.

• If you've reaffirmed on a debt, that particular creditor will continue to show up on your credit report because you are liable on that loan again. Make sure you continue to make payments on reaffirmed loans!

• Finally, court judgments will remain a public record, even after filing for bankruptcy. Even though you likely won’t owe these debts after bankruptcy, a record of the lawsuit may be readily available from the court’s website or record.

Hopefully these tips will help clear up your credit report trouble. Having a clear credit report after filing bankruptcy is the best way to free your future from your past.

If you're being harassed by other creditors, or want to know more about the bankruptcy process, call a St. Louis Bankruptcy Attorney like Tracy Brown, who can assess your situation and give you more advice on how to handle persistent collection attempts.