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Optimal Credit Card Utilization Ratio?

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RKintaudi
Established Member

Re: Optimal Credit Card Utilization Ratio?

Sounds like a plan, i'll try for the Capital One at the beginnign of next month. Thanks for the insight Darrell.

Starting Score (Average) | Current Score (Average) | Goal Score (Average): 750

Current Credit Cards: BofA Cash Rewards: CL - $9,200 | Chase Freedom: CL - $3,000 | Chase Sapphire Preferred: CL - $9,000 | Delta American Express SkyMiles Card: CL - $16,300 | Goldenwest Credit Union Visa Rewards: CL - $7,500 | Mountain America Credit Union Visa Rewards: CL - $10,000 | RC Willey Credit Card: CL - $3,000 | Synchrony Bank /Cards: CL - $7.000
Total CL: $65,000 | Utilization: 12.13%
Message 11 of 22
Darrell82
Established Contributor

Re: Optimal Credit Card Utilization Ratio?


@RKintaudi wrote:

So you recommend that I take the $3,000 credit card off from RC Willey Furniture and immediately max out on it? As I would be purchasing $2993 worth of furniture. That would be the case if I took the offer. I've read that the weight of credit utilization is much greater than hard inquries.


No i would not recommend that at all. I didnt know you would be charging the 2993 if you had taken it. You def made the right choice in not taking that offer being you would have had to max it out. Your right it would have def hit your score hard and not in a good way,




Message 12 of 22
Darrell82
Established Contributor

Re: Optimal Credit Card Utilization Ratio?


@RKintaudi wrote:

Sounds like a plan, i'll try for the Capital One at the beginnign of next month. Thanks for the insight Darrell.


Your welcome .. Good luck and let us know how it goes for you with capital one. There is ways to get good increases from them using the eo email after you have had the card for awhile. I recommend the Quick silver for the 1.5% cash back.




Message 13 of 22
SunriseEarth
Moderator Emeritus

Re: Optimal Credit Card Utilization Ratio?


@RKintaudi wrote:

Hey All,

 

I'm new to these forums after lurking in the weeds and reading posts by others. I'm 21 and just recently graduated from CSUF in California. Now residing in Utah.

 

My question is, what is an optimal credit card utilization ratio? Currently, my Experian credit score is 691 as of my last check a week ago. I'm considering doing the 3-branch thing if I can fit it into my budget. I'm nearly maxed out on my $900 CL BofA Cash Rewards card due to me having emergencies in school last semester. I would like to get it down to around about a $100 balance by the end of december. Additionally, I have a GO GE Capital card that I really didn't want to get, but I guess i'm stuck with it. Anyway, I'm hearing that 25% is a good utilization ratio if the balance is paid off every month before the statement close date. Do you guys agree? 

 

Lastly, when should I consider increasing my credit limit with BofA?

 

Thanks.


First, congrats on graduating from Fullerton!  Utah can definitely be a big culture change from SoCal (I have many friends currently trying to escape Brigham City), but it's a beautiful place.

 

Ideal UTIL is between 1% and 10% on all CCs, preferable with <50% of you CCs reporting a balance.  So your BofA should report between $9 and $90 monthly and your GO GE Capital would have a 0 balance, ideally.

 

As for the RC Willey offer, it would only make sense to take it if you decided not to apply for more credit for a long time.  The 18 month 0% financing is good, but it would hurt your UTIL for a while.  

 

How long have you had your two CCs?



Start: 619 (TU08, 9/2013) | Current: 809 (TU08, 3/05/24)
BofA CCR WMC $75000 | AMEX Cash Magnet $64000 | Discover IT $46000 | Disney Premier VS $43600 | Venmo VS $30000 | NFCU More Rewards AMEX $25000 | Macy's AMEX $25000 Store $25000 | Cash+ VS $25000 | Altitude Go VS $25000 | Synchrony Premier $24,200 | Sony Card VS $23750 | GS Apple Card WEMC $22000 | WF Active Cash VS $18,000 | Jared Gold Card $16000 | FNBO Evergreen VS $15000 | Citi Custom Cash MC $14600 | Target MC $14500 | BMO Harris Cash Back MC $14000 | Amazon VS $12000 | Freedom Flex WEMC $10000 | Belk MC $10000 | Wayfair MC $4500 ~~
Message 14 of 22
RKintaudi
Established Member

Re: Optimal Credit Card Utilization Ratio?

I've had my BofA card for about 15 months now, and my GO GE Capital card for about 2 months. I passed on the RC Willey offer, it's a simple financing plan with no credit involved, besides the inquiry. As mentioned earlier, I want to pay off that balance I have with BofA and Go GE Capital at the end of the month to show zero balances in both accounts. Subsequently, I would like to apply for Capital One card in early December.

Starting Score (Average) | Current Score (Average) | Goal Score (Average): 750

Current Credit Cards: BofA Cash Rewards: CL - $9,200 | Chase Freedom: CL - $3,000 | Chase Sapphire Preferred: CL - $9,000 | Delta American Express SkyMiles Card: CL - $16,300 | Goldenwest Credit Union Visa Rewards: CL - $7,500 | Mountain America Credit Union Visa Rewards: CL - $10,000 | RC Willey Credit Card: CL - $3,000 | Synchrony Bank /Cards: CL - $7.000
Total CL: $65,000 | Utilization: 12.13%
Message 15 of 22
SunriseEarth
Moderator Emeritus

Re: Optimal Credit Card Utilization Ratio?


@RKintaudi wrote:

I've had my BofA card for about 15 months now, and my GO GE Capital card for about 2 months. I passed on the RC Willey offer, it's a simple financing plan with no credit involved, besides the inquiry. As mentioned earlier, I want to pay off that balance I have with BofA and Go GE Capital at the end of the month to show zero balances in both accounts. Subsequently, I would like to apply for Capital One card in early December.


You'll probably still have the new account ding from Go GE Capital for at least another 4 months.  I'd recommend working the UTIL down on BofA and going for a CLI with them down the road.  You'll definitely be able to get new credit with better terms with your BofA showing better UTIL and with the GE TL aging a bit more.  



Start: 619 (TU08, 9/2013) | Current: 809 (TU08, 3/05/24)
BofA CCR WMC $75000 | AMEX Cash Magnet $64000 | Discover IT $46000 | Disney Premier VS $43600 | Venmo VS $30000 | NFCU More Rewards AMEX $25000 | Macy's AMEX $25000 Store $25000 | Cash+ VS $25000 | Altitude Go VS $25000 | Synchrony Premier $24,200 | Sony Card VS $23750 | GS Apple Card WEMC $22000 | WF Active Cash VS $18,000 | Jared Gold Card $16000 | FNBO Evergreen VS $15000 | Citi Custom Cash MC $14600 | Target MC $14500 | BMO Harris Cash Back MC $14000 | Amazon VS $12000 | Freedom Flex WEMC $10000 | Belk MC $10000 | Wayfair MC $4500 ~~
Message 16 of 22
KoolDev
Regular Contributor

Re: Optimal Credit Card Utilization Ratio?

I agree, get the utilization down before it reports.  I went on a bit of an app/CLI spree and was succesful but its taking longer to report cause i did a couple of balance transfers as well.   my Chase card reported fast !  But my NFCU cards is slowwwwwwwwww.   I super mistimed what i was wanting to do because i got all excited.  But end result will be about 8% Utilization over all.  Just made me miss my goal by 3 weeks LOL  If i had just paid the dang things off, then my score would have jumped quicker.

 

Always remember, low utilization is the initial key on credit cards.  Credit cards look at inquiries more than any other credit revenue that I have seen.  They do ding your score but not as bad as high utilization.

My Sock Drawer: Care Credit $4200-0, JCP 2100-0, Chase 3000-0, Chase Freedom $4500.00-0, WF $1000.00-0.00
In Use: NFCU Visa Sig $17.5k- 0.00k
I still have too MANY CARDS
Starting Score 538
Current Score Oct 30-14 701 fico Eq-- 745 Fico Tu-- 713 Fico Ex
Message 17 of 22
lhcole77
Valued Contributor

Re: Optimal Credit Card Utilization Ratio?

Welcome and thanks for the post. When I got approved for both Amex cards, Citi and Barclays back in June and July I had ~7% total UTL reporting. Only had two cc at time of apps and one had a $0 balance.

I think you'll be super successful if you get one card at 0 and your other card less than 10%. It seemed to work for me. And good call on passing on RC Wiley. Smart move.
Message 18 of 22
FocusedAndDetermined
Senior Contributor

Re: Optimal Credit Card Utilization Ratio?


@RKintaudi wrote:

So the whole 25% total utilzation ratio was just another theory, eh? I got approved for a $3,000 CL card from RC Willey here in Utah, as I'm buying new furniture, however,  I declined that as I'd rather have more freedom to use credit with that much of a limit. Should I apply now for a newer card or wait until my BofA card is down to 9% of the balance?


It depends on what your goals are.  In your case, 1-9% on one card (only) is best to boost scores.  But if you are looking for a CLI or new TL some (not all) CCCs want to see that you have used more of your available limit and handled it well.

Message 19 of 22
hot4u
Established Contributor

Re: Optimal Credit Card Utilization Ratio?

+1


(Chase)- Freedom, CSP®, United MileagePlus® Explorer, Marriott Rewards® Premier, Penfed cash+ rewards/Promise/Defender.
Amex’s- BCE, Hilton, SPG®, PRG® and Blue®, NFCU Cash Rewards, FHB Destinations World Elite.
- Amex Centurion,(Citi) Executive/Platinum® Advantage


Alaska Airlines
Message 20 of 22
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