Score drop for reporting 0 balance on credit cards

[queenbutterfly]

First I want to say ty for the help my family have received from the people on this site. U guys rock  My scores were TU 636 EQ 534 EX 583 LO Pulled. I want to test the waters and have my card report a 0 balance. Being my scores are low, I thought being ding wasn't likely. But i was wrong. New scores: TU 620 EQ 534 EX 571.... wow. BTW its 2 cards, 3000 and 500 limits from NFCU. Should i receive the points back if I let a small balance show again?

PS: when I first came to this site all my scores were in the upper 300 and lower 400....lol.... Goal: to become a home owner in 2010!!!!!!!! 

[creditwherecreditisdue]

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@queenbutterfly wrote:

First I want to say ty for the help my family have received from the people on this site. U guys rock  My scores were TU 636 EQ 534 EX 583 LO Pulled. I want to test the waters and have my card report a 0 balance. Being my scores are low, I thought being ding wasn't likely. But i was wrong. New scores: TU 620 EQ 534 EX 571.... wow. BTW its 2 cards, 3000 and 500 limits from NFCU. Should i receive the points back if I let a small balance show again?

PS: when I first came to this site all my scores were in the upper 300 and lower 400....lol.... Goal: to become a home owner in 2010!!!!!!!! 

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If there were no other changes the points should return when you allow a balance to report again. At your score levels the drops you experienced for allowing zero UTIL to report do not seem out of line to me. That's the way FICO scoring works.

Congratulations on your scoring improvement. Keep up the hard work. Over time it is possible for you to make it all the way to High Achiever territory!

[Anonymous]

I just tried the "Reporting 0 Balance" on CC experiment, too.

Had 1 card reporting 18/700 (out of 5 cards).  EQ FICO score: 709.

Paid balance down to 0 on all cards.  EQ FICO score:  709.

Had 1 card report 93/1200.  EQ FICO score: 709.

I hear, if I remember right, that TU is touchier on the 0 balance.

Good luck to you, queenbutterfly!  Hope those scores pop back up for you and best wishes on your home shopping in 2010.

[AndySoCal]

Have score factors /reasons changed between the one showing a credit balance and the one not showing a credit balance ? This might give us / you an insight as to why the scores changes.

[queenbutterfly]

Nothing have changed but the zero balance. Our LO said if we paid it to zero our scores would increase.(CC was at 1-9%) We explained our "online family"  said it would actually decrease the score.... He is now a myFico beleiver now. lol  We have 2 account that was settle. If we PIF will this help our scores? One account is 2.5 years and the other accout is 1.5 years old. (both are Charge-off acounts)