Dear Experian,
How do I get all my information removed from Experian files and databases? I want zero affiliation with credit scores. I am comfortable with a credit score of zero.
- DNL
Dear DNL,
The only way to not have a credit history or credit scores is to live an entirely cash-based lifestyle. If you use credit you will have a credit report. You will never have a zero credit score. Instead, lack of a credit report would prevent credit scores from being calculated.
If your goal is to not have a credit history, you must close all of your accounts and completely stop using credit. Eventually, the accounts would be deleted automatically from your credit history.
Closed accounts with no negative payment history remain in the credit reporting system for 10 years, so you might have a credit report for as long as a decade even after you stop using credit. However, credit scores require account activity in order to be calculated. If your credit report contains no recent activity, generally within the last three to six months, a score may not be able to be generated.
Keep in mind that having a credit history would make it difficult to obtain credit if needed in the future. In addition to qualifying for traditional credit, such as a mortgage or auto loan, your credit history is used to determine eligibility for things like car insurance, cell phones, and even employment.
Using credit wisely provides you with an important, powerful financial tool, especially when unexpected circumstances arise. You might find that removing yourself from the credit marketplace won’t prove to be as good an idea in the future as it may sound right now.
Thanks for asking.
The “Ask Experian” team
The post If you use credit, you will have a credit report appeared first on Experian's Official Credit Advice Blog.