Since the score dropped from one month (October) to the next (November), quick question:
What are your AAoA and oldest account on the before-and-after scores? An increased util from 31% to 34% would be odd to trigger this big a drop, although it could happen, I guess.
I'm looking at an age re-bucketing, where either your AAoA or oldest (or both) moved up a level, and now you're being compared against those with longer histories.
No, never mind, it's not rebucketing, because you're in the presence-of-a-PR bucket, and age won't change that until the PR is gone.
But what were your before and after ages anyway?
Also, if you have a lot of accounts, both open and closed, compare each of them, and make sure that all are on both reports. A split file could also account for this, perhaps due to an older account popping on and off or something similar.
Or EQ has kindly lost one of your older closed accounts earlier than 10 years, as they like to do. 
Thanks for replying, hauling!
I've gone over these reports with a fine tooth comb!!
My 'short' history is 15 yrs 5 mos w/ AAoA 4 yrs as of the Sept report, and Nov report is 15 yrs 7 mos/AAoA 4 yrs, so that didnt change (though I have experienced having good TLs drop off due to age, so I know what you mean about that).
I know there've been a lot of bucket discussions (ie: are they.... PR + derog, PR only, derog only, etc), so I thought maybe the drop a while back was that I moved from a PR w/other major derogs to just PR.
The two reports appear identical: 34% usage shown in 2nd place, 15 yrs/4yrs, 2 new accounts, 1 inq.....the ONLY change I can see is # of accounts with balances on the November report is lower at 14 of 29...but it still has a flag. I went item by item and account by account.
One thing I didn't mention: Nov utilization went to 34% because with the Kroger 123 change to USBank, the account reported as closed (I learned about that on this forum!) so I disputed it. Without the Kroger CL (which is not being counted either or both because it is reporting as closed and is in dispute), usage went to 34%. But just the fact that it's in dispute shouldnt change anything, should it???
This is so maddening for me! As I mentioned, I thought it was you that had advised in another post that the presence of CFA cited as 'bad' can be a good thing in the long run because it means they're starting to look for 'criticisms', and all I have left is the PR and usage and history. Because of that, I figured maybe things would be looking up scorewise, especially once I get utilization where it needs to be (fiscally and fico-ly). Simulator has been showing me with a 50-60 point increase in "1 month" for the last 2-3 months(!) so I guess I can't go by that!
It's so hard to come to terms with the fact that my score keeps going down the cleaner it gets!! I know, I know...the buckets...aarrgghhh..I hate buckets!! But it doesnt seem like this is a bucket thing, does it??
What's making me crazy is for the same info to be scored differently. I just can't see that I'm missing anything when I compare, so I can only assume that for some reason, FICO hates me worse in November than in October!
And when that PR (my only baddie) drops inthe spring, will I go to 500?!?!!?
edited to add: just ran TU and it's still 696 w/same history and utilization as EQ and 1 inq. Only difference I see is 15/25 accounts w/balances and Kroger is not shown as closed. Utilization is 34% though, just like EQ. TU likes me better I guess....although I don't ever get that much of a gain on the TU simulator.
I got this card in June of 2009, so it's almost 1 1/2 yrs old. My AAofA is 4 yrs.
It has a $2500 CL and no negatives. Absolutely the only baddie on my report is the PR.....no lates, no CO, nothing.
This is probably one of the strangest (and most frustrating) things I've had come up with my reports/score...and I've had some doozies! I've had to dispute info on other TLs before, and I've never had such a negative consequence.
I'm just stymied. But it sounds like you are, too.....so this has to be a really odd siutation....given your experience and expertise. I just can't imagine what would make this particular TL have such an impact.
The USBank CSR advised that they report the first 2 weeks of the month, so it will be interesting to see what happens when they report. From what she advised (as I posted on another thread), the USBank will report as new and the RSB as closed, but no new cards will be issued.
I should have called before disputing, but I was following the lead of another poster when I decided to dispute the account showing as closed, and she hasn't reported back any such dire outcome as what I've seen.
I'm hoping that when USBank reports the 'new' TL and/or the dispute is resolved, my score will rebound some. I guess the reason for the big dip will remain a mystery.
On a side note, am I correct that this very first mention of a CFA (and it's on an old car loan account almost 10 yrs old) can be considered a good thing in that it might indicate fewer things to show as 'bad' and thus meaning I'm getting closer to potential for higher scores??
As mentioned, the simulator (I know, I know) has shown me with a 50 or more point increase ("in 1 month, in 3 mos") for the last 2-3 months, so I want to believe that someday soon I can be firmly in the 700+ club. I've had TU there a few times, last EX in '09 was 702, and my ONE EQ 700 ..an even 700..was as I mentioned a couple plus years ago with baddies on my report (aarrgghh!!).
OK, now that I've almost hijacked my own post (
), I'll eagerly await your advices!!
I'll throw another fish in the bucket.
Kroger cards are showing closed on Equifax (and Experian - but not TU as of yet) - so your utilization may have gone up just based on that (can't remember where your balances are). DH's reports do show a loss of the Kroger CL, and an increase in utilization. But for him, overall utilization went from .8% to 1.2%, so it's not damaging. Balance and utilization on his Kroger card was zero when it last reported.
That percent change in your utilization may have been enough to put you in a different utilization category.
And although you may not have been rebucketed, you may have been re-binned - which some experts claim can have a more dramatic score impact than a rebucketing. Bins are subcategories within buckets.
Your choice to dispute may or may not delay the impact of the new USBank reporting - IME disputes can take a dang long time to clear (well, at least it seemed like a long time when I was waiting).
I'm not aware of another poster disputing the Kroger as not being closed - so you lost me on that one.
But - it'll all be fine in the end, More or less. 
No. Really. It will all be fine.
I'll be watching credit reports right along with you to see what the new reporting status with USBank is - I'm especially anxious to confirm that it does not impact AAofA.
lol, I thought I was the only one who self-threadjacked!
This one might just have to go in the category of Ain't-No-Telling. Normally I'd advise to call CS, and ask them to take a look at it, but you know how to analyze your own reports with the negative factors, so I'm not sure that they'd be able to see anything that we're not seeing. It's always a possibility, though.
And I do believe that about the consumer finance account. The fact that you have only one CFA, and that the negative is displaying in the fourth position instead of higher up, tells me that the scoring formula is digging around in the junk drawer to find four negatives. I know that mine didn't start showing up until I hit the 780's.
btw, it has probably been lurking at #4 for a good while now. It didn't display when your score was above 680, because myFICO reports show fewer and fewer negatives as your score rises. When the high util dropped you under 680, all four displayed. When you go back above 680, you'll probably only see three negatives again, but that fourth one will still be there if a lender pulled a report (they see all four.)
For those who don't get all four displayed because of their higher scores, if you're morbidly curious you can pull a so-called "slant 12" report from http://www.myfico.com/12/home.aspx. It will be just a straight report, and it won't list your warm-fuzzy positives, or AAoA (I think) and other stuff we see on regular myFICO reports, so don't panic. It doesn't mean that you no longer have positive factors or Very Good on Amount of Credit, etc etc. They just don't display on this particular version. The site might leave a cookie that redirects you there for future log-ins. If that happens, you'll have to clear the cookie from your browser. A nuisance, but that's all.
edited to remove double double words words
Thanks for chiming in, beam!
What makes this case so confounding is.... yes....utilization went up.....but to exactly where it was when score went to 663...and all other info is exactly the same. With the same util % and other factors the same, it dropped to 654 (OUCH--it hurts to even type that!), so that's what's so mystifying! The only other thing that was different was the number of accounts with balances (which actually is lower on the 654 report...but still flagged). That wouldnt be a bin, would it??
I think it was DI that mentioned disputing it. She said she saw it showing as 'closed' so she disputed. This was on the other Kroger 123 post in which I advised what all the CSR at USBank advised about reporting. That's the post where I first learned the account was showing up as closed for some customers, so I pulled my EQ, saw it showed closed, and filed the dispute BEFORE I called USBank. Because I disputed just at the time they were showing it closed, I never got my FICO score with it showing just as 'closed'. I go a Scorewatch alert the next day about a 'change in account' and it showed the Kroger TL as "in dispute".
I know disputes can drag on....but sometimes..usually when you know they didnt really check anything...they resolve in just a couple of days. Here's hoping (fingers crossed).
I'm also hoping that by 'new', the CSR meant 'new' in the sense it will be reported by USBank rather than RSB...and that the history would all stay the same. (fingers AND toes crossed). That would be the best case scenario and would avoid impact to AAoA.
And I hope it all corrects itself before USBank does an EQ review, which would no doubt result in CLD with my horrible score (fingers, toes and eyes crossed).
Guess all we can do is watch and wait. I'll be alright as long as my teeth don't crack from me gritting them so hard!!
I'm crossing everything, too.
If it helps at all, they just softed DH on EQ before the change, so it should be awhile before they do it again - I'm sure you'll be fine.
But, I'll still keep those fingers crossed.........
haulingthescoreup wrote:lol, I thought I was the only one who self-threadjacked!
I'm just trying to emulate you!!
Good to know about the CFA. I'm trying to be encouraged by that, especially since right now I'm a little discouraged.
I'm taking way too much of your time (and I really should be working!!), but if I may impose a little more to press for your opinion on the simulator showing such a big jump....and is only shown on EQ---TU simulation just shows nominal increase at the 1 mo/ 3 mo intervals. Should I put any stock at all in that??