Friend's Experian score dropped by 20 points. No change in their CR.

[sjt]

My friend's Experian score went dropped by 20 points. No changes in their Experian reports. Equifax and Trans Union score remains unchanged.

Anyone know what could have happened. Could it be a rebucket?

[Anonymous]

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@sjt wrote:

My friend's Experian score went dropped by 20 points. No changes in their Experian reports. Equifax and Trans Union score remains unchanged.

Anyone know what could have happened. Could it be a rebucket?

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Your providing very little information.

Information below may help us answer you.

Inquiries, new accounts, AAOA (maybe dropped), utilization, baddies, recently paid installment loans, ect ect ect...

[Anonymous]

It's impossible to have a 20 point change yet nothing on the credit profile changed.  Something changed:  it's all about figuring out what it was.

[sjt]

Just discovered the reason for the 20 point drop. My friend paid the full balance of the only card that was reporting a balance without realizing that all of his accounts would then report a zero balance. So he will have to leave a small balance on one of the other cards, which closes in 10 days. 

Data point for him, have zeroed out balances will get him a 20 point hit.

[Anonymous]

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@sjt wrote:

Just discovered the reason for the 20 point drop. My friend paid the full balance of the only card that was reporting a balance without realizing that all of his accounts would then report a zero balance. So he will have to leave a small balance on one of the other cards, which closes in 10 days. 

Data point for him, have zeroed out balances will get him a 20 point hit.

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Makes perfect sense. Thanks for the update.

[sjt]

Providing some Data Points:

When my friend paid off his card and showed a zero balance across all cards, his score dropped:

EX (FICO 08) 648 to 628, a 20 point drop.

TU (FICO 08) 655 to 642, a 13 point drop.

EQ (FICO 08) 665 to 627, a 38 point drop.

He regained those points back once a balance showed up on another card.