Very basic Q about removing old paid collection

[Anonymous]

I know this is a very basic question, but for some reason I cannot seem to find it answered when I search old posts.

I had a $74 collection from an unpaid Time Warner bill (we moved and thought we had paid it). The CA is Credit Management LP. I paid it in full in 2014, but it still appears on my credit reports.

So -- is there any way to tell if it's bringing my score down? And if so, what can I do? I called the CA and they said there's nothing we can do. I will call the bureaus, but I know from reading here that contacting the bureaus about anything is a look-before-you-leap kind of thing. So I wanted to check here first.

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

For the most part, there is little score difference between a collection account and a paid collection account.  You may be able to get the paid collection removed using a goodwill letter, but now that you've paid it I would not hold my breath on that one.  

Having a collection on your report is going to drag your scores down but that effect will lessen over time.

[Anonymous]

Great. Thanks very much. I think I'll just let it disappear on its own since it's not really doing much harm at this point.

[Anonymous]

When I first started, I created a goodwill template letter that I just printed out for every baddie on my report on the first of every month.  I figured it only cost me a stamp each, and you never know when the letter is going to land on the right person's desk who's feeling generous.  Got Midland off my report four years early and supposedly they are notorious for not giving goodwill deletions, so you never know...