Q&A: Closing a credit account won't make it go away

Q: I'm thinking about closing some high-interest credit card accounts that I'm no longer using. Will this remove the accounts from my credit record?

A: No. Accounts you've paid off in full generally remain on your credit record for up to 10 years after they're closed. Those with delinquent balances stay on your record for seven years, and if you made late payments on an account, that information also remains for seven years.