Using a long-unused credit card already on acct - my credit score drops?

[tinuviel]

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@Anonymous wrote:
Odd... Curious what was the balance reported vs credit line or highest balance?

I have actually had my Fico go up a point or two for using a card that has not had activity in 3 or 4 months. In fact, one of my positively affecting my Fico score is "recent credit card use"

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As a matter of fact, the same thing happened to me today. I just received a score watch alert on myFICO and when I went to view it, it said that an unused account was showing activitiy. This was my Kay Jeweler card; I just used it this month for some repairs. I got a 5 point boost as a result. Go figure...

[AndySoCal]

I believe score watch has a setting for when to alert you for a dormant account. Can you check ? I think the alert and the score drop may be tow different issues.

[OnWayUpinTexas]

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@AndySoCal wrote:

I believe score watch has a setting for when to alert you for a dormant account. Can you check ? I think the alert and the score drop may be tow different issues.

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Andy, you're right.  And I think the default setting is 3 months.  I didn't realize that ... thanks for pointing it out.

The score drop may be (more) attributable to my eating up $1300 of a $1700 CL in a couple of transactions at Dillard's (on a dormant card, if that has anything to do with it at all).  Anxious to see what the scores do when the PIF shows up next month -- will it go back to the 683, or whatever it was before ???

Thanks.

[tinuviel]

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@OnWayUpinTexas wrote:

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@AndySoCal wrote:

I believe score watch has a setting for when to alert you for a dormant account. Can you check ? I think the alert and the score drop may be tow different issues.

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Andy, you're right.  And I think the default setting is 3 months.  I didn't realize that ... thanks for pointing it out.

The score drop may be (more) attributable to my eating up $1300 of a $1700 CL in a couple of transactions at Dillard's (on a dormant card, if that has anything to do with it at all).  Anxious to see what the scores do when the PIF shows up next month -- will it go back to the 683, or whatever it was before ???

Thanks.

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Yeah, that's probably what did it. You should be fine after PIF.

[AndySoCal]

There are two factors that will have affected your score.  One the is PIF of the Dillards account which will be positive. The other factor is the dormant account now being active. How much if at all that account was being factored into your score is another factor. I would say the bigger factor should be the PIF of the Dillard account. I would be interested in hearing how much of a change it tunrs out to be.

[OnWayUpinTexas]

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@AndySoCal wrote:

There are two factors that will have affected your score.  One the is PIF of the Dillards account which will be positive. The other factor is the dormant account now being active. How much if at all that account was being factored into your score is another factor. I would say the bigger factor should be the PIF of the Dillard account. I would be interested in hearing how much of a change it tunrs out to be.

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I'll be sure to let you know.  I think it reports around the 12th, off the top of my head.  Thanks for your input.

[Anonymous]

I have a card that I use infrequently. About every 3 months there is a situation when previous month balance was zero, and present month balance is $20-30. Every time this happens, my rating drops by 15 points. Never ever allow your balance to drop to zero! Disable auto-payment  option - it might leave you with zero balance.

[myjourney]

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