Util went up, and so did my scores?!?

[fused]

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haulingthescoreup wrote:
Perhaps not a re-bucketing so much as improved credit mix from having store cards.

Your AAoA was lowered, but did your overall/ longest history happen to go up by a year?

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Lisa added two more store cards, all you need is one for credit mix points. I guessed a bucket change, but it could be that she hit an anniversary with her credit history.

[LisaJ]

Maybe, Hauling.  It doesn't look like I had an anniversary though--very odd.

I am really confused, but maybe I should just be grateful. 

I was hoping that ATT/Palisades had fallen off. They should be falling off this year, but since they didn't report until three years after the bill went into collections, the date on the CR is 2005.  (I really need to DV them, because I am 99% sure my ex paid them.)  But they are still on my account, so I have no idea.

Maybe it is the use of credit--I was rotating the util...the message on Score Watch for the point change day says that the only change other than score is the usage of JC Penney, which I paid off in November.  So it isn't like I hadn't used it in months.

Heck, maybe they gave me bonus points for not maxing out over the holidays like I used to do!  (Just kidding, but seriously, I am out of ideas). 

[haulingthescoreup]

Did the Macy's and other store card (I've already spaced on the name, lol) both hit after the earlier report? If so, it could be that. Whether one was added or a hundred, if it was your first retail card, that would have added to the mix.

Plus there's always the phase of the moon explanation.

[LisaJ]

All of my new cards reported between the earlier score and the new ones. And all of my balances reported, too...I thought maybe they still have Providian at zero, but the reporting balance is acutally higher than what is on there right now.

I am really excited about TU because they absolutely never cut me a break, so the 9 point rise made my day.

SInce I intend to ge tback down to less than 9% util as soon as my rapid refund is back, I am really, really crossing my fingers that EX will get into the 700 club.  I am sooooo close--just 8 points away at this point. 

The hardest part for me is not apping for anything else. It gets a bit addictive. I really need a higher VISA, because my Providian one is stuck at 1000 and has been forever...if I could get one from my CU for $5000+, I would be a happy girl, but I also think it is too soon to do that, given my recent rise. 

So I will bide my time, keep my Providan and my Orchard rotating for now, and in 6 months or so, I will try for that CU or BOA card. 

[haulingthescoreup]

Since the new cards all reported at the same time, I think having a new retail card or cards, which improved your mix, was responsible for at least part of the increase. It wouldn't matter whether one or a dozen reported --if you hadn't had any before, this put a check mark into that particular box.

It also might be that your particular credit profile was skimpy on revolving tradelines, and adding some accounts actually helped.