<prompt> Human: Question is in the title. Ive always heard that any account activity on an account will renew the time it takes to drop off your credit report by 7 years. Is this true? Would it be better for my credit history and credit score to have an account that was previously in collections show as paid for the next 7 years? Or should I just let it drop off?Brief overview of delinquent accounts...: I C SYSTEM, Report date: 11232010, Amount: 50 I C SYSTEM, Report date: 4212014, Amount: 1,056 BP, Report date: 1162013, Amount: 79 CMC, Report date: 11252009, Amount: 129tl;dr Is it better to let accounts in collections fall off after 7 years, or to pay them off and show them as paid?  <response>: Acknowledging a debt in collections can reset the statute of limitations on collecting the debt, but it wont reset the 7-year clock for it falling off your report. If the collections agency sues you and gets a judgement against you, that can separately go on your report and stay for its own 7-year lifespan. 