How long does credit ruined after debt consolidation?
Jackson Reed
Updated on February 18, 2026
If you have a poor and/or thin credit history, it could take 12 to 24 months from the time you settled your last debt for your credit score to recover. Either way, you’ll benefit from debt settlement if that means you’re no longer missing payments.
Does debt consolidation affect your credit rating?
Debt consolidation has the potential to help or hurt your credit score—depending on which method you use and how diligent you are with your repayment plan. While eliminating or lowering your debt may help your credit score over time, debt consolidation is not typically used as a strategy to increase your credit score.
Will negatively affect your credit history?
The types of negative account information that can show up on your credit report include foreclosure, bankruptcy, repossession, charge-offs, settled accounts. Each of these can severely hurt your credit for years, even up to a decade.
How does debt consolidation affect your credit score?
As you roll revolving credit debt into a debt consolidation loan, and if you keep your balances on those accounts low, this can help to reduce your credit utilization and in time help boost your credit score.
How does a debt settlement affect my credit score?
A debt settlement remains on your credit report for seven years. As with all debts, larger balances have a proportionately larger impact on your credit score. If you are settling small accounts—particularly if you are current on other, bigger loans —then the impact of a debt settlement may be negligible.
How does payment history affect your credit score?
Payment history is the most important factor in calculating your credit score—accounting for 35% of your FICO ® Score * —and it is important to avoid any late payments being recorded on your credit file. With a debt consolidation loan, it is important to first know what range your credit score falls into.
How does closing a revolving credit account affect your credit score?
Closing revolving credit accounts will increase your overall credit utilization ratio —which will impact your credit scores. It is important to make sure that your credit counseling organization makes all payments for you on time.