How accurate are the simulators?

[Anonymous]

I've been messing with the simulators on myfico and they come up with really off the wall scores. Anyone here actually compared the simulator with actual results?

[pattycake]

They are just that - simulators.  They don't take into account the CLDs that the CC companies are doing, and they assume so many different factors.  

I think the simulators have been a little off for me, but not too far.  I'm now over 700 - FINALLY - although I really expected to be here much sooner.   

[Anonymous]

The MYFICO simulator is telling me I should see a 80 to 120 point increase just by paying down my utilization. I am currently at about 80%. I realize that utilization is about 30% of your score. I just thought this many points is too many. (over a 6 month period that is)

[JoeBJay20]

It varies from one credit report to another, but as a general rule, you can expect about a 10 point gain for every 10% decrease in utilization. 

[RobertEG]

The score simulators are intentionally vaque. 

If they permitted you to view the short-term affect of one single change in your CR, that wouild allow for reverse-engineering of their scoring algorithm.  And that is just not gonna happen.