Question: Credit Score.  As I understand it, bad items "fall off" after 7 years.  Is this automatic? 

Answer: Bad items fall off after 7 years, except bankruptcies, which fall off after 10.  It is supposed to be automatic but the credit reporting agencies (CRAs) aren't as vigilant about doing this as they should be, so check your credit report and if there's something on there that shouldn't be, write a letter demanding it be removed to all 3 of the CRAs and follow that up with phone calls to each one to make sure it gets done.
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