What % of Credit Limit Use is Allowed Without Hurting Your FICO Score?

[Anonymous]

I understand it is a good idea to remain within the appropriate utilization (3-9%).  I am wondering how much of my available credit I can use without negatively affecting my FICO Score.  I have been reading a lot about how your ratio of credit usage and credit limit can effect about 30% of your FICO score.  I am planning on moving for work but have been unable to get the appropriate loans so am thinking of using my credit cards for these expenses.  Payments are not an issue, I am worried about using too much of my credit limit and in the end hurting my FICO Score in a large way.  Any info would help, Thanx!

[llecs]

Ideally, you'd want either all of your cards but one or one-half of your CCs to report $0 with the remaining one or other half to report a balance less than 9%. You'd really have to tweak it to edge out max points. YMMV. Some report best results with only one reporting a balance and others argue half.

Now you can certainly use more than $0 ot 9% of your CL. You can max the card (wouldn't recommend it though), but immediately prior to that CC's reporting date (usually the statement date), pay it down or off to get it to report what you want it to.

[Anonymous]

If you do not plan on any loans soon, I would say use the cards and pay them down for the short term.

your numbers will come back up.

To me, that's kind of what the cc is for, daily usage then pif every month, or a short term loan that can be paid off in 2 to 3 months for a large purchase, moving expense, emergency.

I think ideally what a lot of folks shoot for is to have enough credit so that a large hit on the cc still reports under 9%.

Until recently I never understood why I would ever need 50 or a 100k worth of cc, and the reason for it would be if I ever had to hit my cc with a large purchase I would still be under 9%.

and yes I am rambling on, their is a very large pile of dirt ( 2 yards) in my front yard that needs to be moved and I am trying to avoid it. Every 15 minutes or so I give it a real mean look hoping to scare it away, no luck so far.

[haulingthescoreup]

lol, would you like some of the dogs that run through my neighborhood? They're great diggers, although a mite difficult to focus.

Great explanation of the reasons for high total CL's!