If you win the jackpot, you will have to make many decisions about how to spend your money. But first, you have to choose between the annuity or cash options. Jackpot winners have 60 days from the claim date to select either the 30-payment graduated annuity or the cash option.
Defaulting on a loan, having a car repossessed, or making a late payment all stay on your credit reports for the same amount of time when the borrower reports them. All negative marks including repo (except a bankruptcy) stays on your credit report for seven years. A bankruptcy stays on your credit file for ten years. Repossessions also have a much more severe impact on your credit score than just missing a payment or paying late. Repossessions and defaults carry severe penalties to your credit score and can reduce them by one hundred points or more in one swoop.
Steve, the charge-off will remain on your credit report for 7 years. The Fair Credit Reporting Act states that negative items will remain on your credit report for 7 years from the first date of delinquency resulting in the charge-off. Typically, a debt is charged off once it is delinquent for 120 to 180 days. The original time frame for a loan -- such as 5 years, in the case of an auto loan -- has no bearing on the length of time the delinquency will be reported in your credit file.