Think a Bankruptcy Is Killing Your Score? Think Again.

Many people assume that declaring bankruptcy will absolutely shatter their credit scores—and while it does have an impact, the damage may be less devastating than you fear.

The Bigger Credit Offenders Often Aren’t Bankruptcy

While bankruptcies (like Chapter 7 or Chapter 13) do remain on your credit report—for 7 years (Chapter 13) or 10 years (Chapter 7/11) Investopedia—the most immediate threats to your score come from items like:

• Delinquent payments
• Collections
• Charge-offs
• High credit utilization

These red flags often drop scores faster than bankruptcy alone.

Bankruptcy Can Offer a Fresh Start

Discharging debts through bankruptcy can actually reduce your overall debt load and help remove egregious items that were dragging your score down. Not a cure-all—but often a strategic reset.

Rebuilding Is Possible—and Faster Than You Think

According to financial experts, you can start viewing stabilized credit improvement within a year post-bankruptcy by:

• Monitoring your credit reports
• Paying all accounts on time
• Keeping credit utilization low
• Using tools like secured cards or credit-builder loans