Having one card report a 1%-9% balance and the remainder reporting 0% seems best for Fico scores. You can use your cards to show usage just pay all but one to 0% and pay that off before due date to avoid interest. Welcome to the forum!
Discover IT $17k / US Bank Ace (VSig) $13.5K / US Bank Cash+ (VSig) $13.5k
@Anonymous wrote:Hi,
I have been studying how my my credit score goes up and down for years. I have heard 2 major schools of thought on this but no straight answer.
I have approx 15 credit cards. Is it betten to leave most of your cards at a 0 balance or have some with a low balance and 0 balance.
Schools of thought say the 3 blind mice as I call them, look at having all of your cards at a low low balance, with no 0 BALANCE. Does anyone have experience with this? Please let me know what your thoughts are?
OP-
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My cards rarely do not have a balance.
I think both methods are fine, and what the "3 blind mice" school doesn't realize is, by spending months trying to fine-tune their "let one account report a small amount" strategy, what is really happening is... the portfolio is simply aging and showing experience. Thus the "let one account report" is not the cause of the improving FICO score, it is only the distraction that keeps them so focused on making payments that time takes over. They never miss a payment, and so enjoy the results of that good credit habit.
For my situation "optimization" means paying down the balance from $46k to $20k. That will allow time to catch up and be fully realized, instead of being smothered by too much utilization.
@NRB525 wrote:My cards rarely do not have a balance.
I think both methods are fine, and what the "3 blind mice" school doesn't realize is, by spending months trying to fine-tune their "let one account report a small amount" strategy, what is really happening is... the portfolio is simply aging and showing experience. Thus the "let one account report" is not the cause of the improving FICO score, it is only the distraction that keeps them so focused on making payments that time takes over. They never miss a payment, and so enjoy the results of that good credit habit.
For my situation "optimization" means paying down the balance from $46k to $20k. That will allow time to catch up and be fully realized, instead of being smothered by too much utilization.
I agree with this and will go a step further. It's up to each person to figure out what works best for them no matter what method they use.
I guess I'm one of those "blind mice". I never realized my hobby of seeing how high I could get my scores was such a bad thing. I also agree that account aging has much to do with obtaining FICO High Achiever status but "tweaks" here and there can help you reach it faster.
If someone asks what seems to work best I will, based on thousands of posts I've read, always recommend the "let one card report" approach.
I've always written though that it's not for everyone. It's a personal choice.
But I'm not insulted being called a blind mouse. I've been called much worse!! 
@MarineVietVet wrote:
@NRB525 wrote:My cards rarely do not have a balance.
I think both methods are fine, and what the "3 blind mice" school doesn't realize is, by spending months trying to fine-tune their "let one account report a small amount" strategy, what is really happening is... the portfolio is simply aging and showing experience. Thus the "let one account report" is not the cause of the improving FICO score, it is only the distraction that keeps them so focused on making payments that time takes over. They never miss a payment, and so enjoy the results of that good credit habit.
For my situation "optimization" means paying down the balance from $46k to $20k. That will allow time to catch up and be fully realized, instead of being smothered by too much utilization.
I agree with this and will go a step further. It's up to each person to figure out what works best for them no matter what method they use.
I guess I'm one of those "blind mice". I never realized my hobby of seeing how high I could get my scores was such a bad thing. I also agree that account aging has much to do with obtaining FICO High Achiever status but "tweaks" here and there can help you reach it faster.
If someone asks what seems to work best I will, based on thousands of posts I've read, always recommend the "let one card report" approach.
I've always written though that it's not for everyone. It's a personal choice.
But I'm not insulted being called a blind mouse. I've been called much worse!!
No offense intended. I hope it didn't sound that way.
My concern with the mantra of "let one card report because it is best" is, how much bester is it? If you, MVV, for example, were to change your style to allow three cards to report 1%-3% (so overall utilization is similar) and to do that consistently with the same three cards for 4 months, what would your newly stabilized score be after 4 months? How many points lower? I think it will be a fairly small difference in number of points. It may not be 850, but then you can prove me wrong and get back to your hobby
For most trying to build credit, because of the number of variations in any given month due to timings, payments, % changes and just daily life, for them the passage of time making payments on time, trying to minimize interest cost, and keeping utilization under control are the most important factors.
