Higher Balance Reporting Around Christmas

[Jbb2788]

How bad is this likely to hurt scores? I know these things have to be calculated by a computer that has no sense of time so I'm assuming that it could hurt pretty bad? How likely is adverse action likely to occur for letting balances report higher around Christmas? Thanks for any input.

[armbenderc]

Try to have it only on one card. It should be fine if you are not applying for anything.

[JediNeo]

I don't think anything will happen. I'm fact they are encouraging you to use the card. AMEX for example offered the $25 credit when you spend $75 @ Amazon. Provided you linked the card.

[Jbb2788]

My plan was to let small balances report on several and higher balances to report on 1 or 2. Then when I pay in full hopefully it will have a very positive impact on my report. I just don't want to risk AA because I'm going to spend quite a bit more than normal.

[ksantangelo23]

Unless your history involves multiple baddies, AA from one or two months of a relatively high balance should not occur.

Also, your score will immediatly bounce right back to where it was prior as soon as you pay down your balances. 

[MMB85]

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@JediNeo wrote:
@I don't think anything will happen. I'm fact they are encouraging you to use the card. AMEX for example offered the $25 credit when you spend $75 @ Amazon. Provided you linked the card.

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The "use" of a card is different than utilization%. Yes, credit card companies of course encourage the use of their cards. The use of your card are your daily transactions, not the balance sitting on your account. Pay it off every few days as you go to keep the util% low. Encouraging the use doesn't mean they are encouraging you to have a high balance. Two COMPLETELY different things.

[Open123]

While I have no emprirical proof of this, I surmise that if there's a time where issuers are less alarmed with high balances (utility) is during the Christmas season.  Most of us would tend to spend much more during this time of year than any other.