How to avoid a charge-off?

Charge-offs appears on your credit reports if you have been delinquent on a debt. A charge-off means that you have not paid your debts for a period of 6 months straight. With this on your report it means that you cannot make further purchases with the account.  

A charge-off is also known as a write-off. If a debt is written-off it does not mean you no longer owe the debt. You still do. This will remain on your credit report for the next 7 years and will be visible to any lender who wishes to view your report. Naturally, when you default so seriously, your credit score too will drop after a charge-off.  

How can you avoid a charge-off?

Each time you make a late payment, you move a step closer to having your account charged-off. To avoid this happening, keep making the minimum payment at least on months that you think you cannot afford the full payment due.

Catch up on delinquent accounts when they are 4-5 months old and pay up. You need to pay up more to bring your account to current because there would be added fees and late payment charges.  

How can you remove a charge-off from your credit report?

A charge-off is meant to stay on your report till seven years from the date the debt was charged off. A lot of you may think that since a debt was charged-off, you don't need to pay it anymore. This is not true. You still owe the money, just that the collection calls will be coming from a collection agency instead of the creditor.

Lenders take charge-offs seriously so you should make an attempt to get it removed from your credit report. The best way you can try to remove a charge-off would be by negotiation.

Talk to your lender: Contact your mortgage lender and try to convince him to get the charge-off removed in exchange of payment. Before you call your lender, you must be aware of the amount you can pay him on the account. But, do not make the minimum payment, try and make it maximum so that you can negotiate better. Find out who is the concerned authority who can remove the charge-off from your report.  

Your mortgage lender must be aware that you are willing to pay off the debt but have the charge-off removed from your report in exchange. Be professional in your approach and make no mistake of blaming the creditor or drawing sympathy by telling your life story. It might be difficult to get a creditor to get a charge-off removed from your report since they are contractually bound to report information to the bureaus.  

If your creditor does not at all agree to remove the charge-off, try to convince him to report a "closed" on your report. Whatever agreement you get in to with your creditor, get it in writing. Do not make any payment unless you get the agreement in writing and as per the discussions that you have had. If you have any doubts get in touch with your creditor. Once the agreement is finalized and you have fulfilled it, check the credit report to see if the charge-off has been removed or not.