I'm with the president(Nix) on this one.
There is a happy medium between not developing bad credit habits and micromanaging/obsessive credit habits.
The 1% rule is too stringent for most people most of the time. And by the same token, 50% overall debt is also a bit alarming... especially if carried out for long periods.
If none of us were on these boards, or reading credit blogs, we'd be like the rest of credit users--- either with debt up to our necks(and no concept of utilization) or we'd simply be using our credit cards(as we saw fit); paying back the amount we're told(minimum) in the time frame we're alotted.
Layaway, financing, grace periods, etc exist because people get to, and prefer, to receive now and pay later.
If not for these boards, we wouldn't be using our cards and then immediately paying the bill in full. Not your average person.
Yes, now that we've learned a little something here, we are more cautious, but the 1% rule is still far from the norm.
Either we're running up high debt or obsessing over AA and so micromanaging. The latter, in itself, is not a bad practice. It is especially a necessity if you've had bancruptcies/bad debt in the past. Obsessing, CAN, however, make one forget what credit is meant to do. Which is, to build your brand, ASWELL as, give you a grace period that you can freely take advantage of(without it seeming unfathomable).
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