A split image with "To Pay or Not to Pay" theme. Left: Icons of a car, money, and a gavel with words like "Repossessions." Right: Confused man with speech bubbles.

These are the unique credit situations that don’t fit neatly into the usual categories. They’re the ones that make people stop and ask, “Wait, should I actually pay this?” or “What happens if I do?” Now normally I’d start off with a nice little definition, but let’s be honest — this group is kind of…

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A worried woman holds a phone showing a declining graph labeled "collections." Background has cash, coins, and a red X. Text questions paying old debt.

“Should I pay off this collection from 2020?” Whew—if I had a dollar for every time someone asked me that! It’s one of the most common credit questions I get, and for good reason—it’s confusing!. So let’s break it down. When does paying off a collection help your score, and when could it actually hurt? First things first—what is a…

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