Credit is great--why is my score going down?

[Anonymous]

According to TU, my FICO score from March to May of '07 was 743. June to Sept., 729. As of Oct. '07, it's 690.

I printed out my full credit report, and everything is excellent--no deliquencies since early 2004, no collections, no new accounts, no public records, nothing. No changes during that June to Oct. period.

The TU report lists two potentially negative items, related to a 2004 90 day deliquency and 30 day delinquency, since paid off and closed. Both years before my score was at it's high point.

Why is my score going down when everything appears to be in good standing?

Thanks.

[MidnightVoice]

Has your utilization changes?

Have you opened any new accounts?

Many inquiries?

New cell phones?

[Anonymous]

I'm assuming by "utilization" you mean just how I'm using my cards? (As opposed to "utilization" being some credit rating term I'm not familiar with). If so, no, no changes.

No new accounts.

According to TU, no inquiries that should effect my score.

No new cell phones.

[MidnightVoice]

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Giandeau wrote:

I'm assuming by "utilization" you mean just how I'm using my cards? (As opposed to "utilization" being some credit rating term I'm not familiar with). If so, no, no changes.

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Utilization is the percentage of your available revolving credit that you is reported to your CRA every month.  Even if you PIF every month, the balance gets reported.  This is worth 35% of your score.

If this is different every month, your score will change.

[Anonymous]

Ah, ok. Thanks for the explanation.

Here's the payment history from February of this year:

Balance: $2,246.77

Payment: $95.00

Payment: $288.00

Payment: $100.00

Payment: $100.00

Payment: $85.00

Payment: $100.00

Payment: $100.00

Payment: $500.00

There were finance charges, of course, but no purchases or cash advances made on the account. Based on this info, does a Utalization change seem a likely answer?

Thank you.

[Anonymous]

Giandeau, the utilization ratio is the ratio of total credit balance/total credit limit. It is calculated on both individual cc's and the total of all cc's combined.

The higher the utilization ratio the more your scores will be adversely affected.

Not knowing the cl's on each cc, it's impossible for us to calculate the utils.

Hope that makes sense.