Will my score drop?

Anonymous · ‎10-08-2016

Hello everyone I have a question. I have 2 CCs with a $885 combined limit one is Cap1 Platinum and the other is a retail store named Curcao. I have a $289 balance on the Cap1 ($300 limit) and a $333 balance on the other one ($585 limit). last month the store card reported $0 balance and the Cap1 card reported a $16 balance (2%) util. What would happen if I let them both report a balance? One with maybe $20 and the other with $10 (which is about 5-6% util) will my score drop for letting both cards report a balance? I can pay them both off, I'm just wondering what would happen.

Anonymous · ‎10-08-2016

Supposively the best score is when only one reports a small (<10%) balance and everything else is at 0. Letting them both report a balance will theoretically be a lower score, but a no doubt negligible amount at that, and the effect is non-lasting. I'm curious to know what the bump generally is when doing that trick....

Anonymous · ‎10-08-2016

I think the bump would be pretty big fro me because i still have a thin file. I'm only 19 so it will probably drop more than someone with a thick file.

Anonymous · ‎10-08-2016

Very true. If you aren't apping for credit in the next few months you can certainly test it out. Let both cards report 1 month, 1 card the next, neither the next. Then you can see exactly how these 3 different scenarios impact your score with respect to utilization.

SouthJamaica · ‎10-08-2016

@Anonymous wrote:
Hello everyone I have a question. I have 2 CCs with a $885 combined limit one is Cap1 Platinum and the other is a retail store named Curcao. I have a $289 balance on the Cap1 ($300 limit) and a $333 balance on the other one ($585 limit). last month the store card reported $0 balance and the Cap1 card reported a $16 balance (2%) util. What would happen if I let them both report a balance? One with maybe $20 and the other with $10 (which is about 5-6% util) will my score drop for letting both cards report a balance? I can pay them both off, I'm just wondering what would happen.

For score purposes it's best to let one report at zero and the other report a small balance.

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Anonymous · ‎10-09-2016

@Anonymous wrote:
Very true. If you aren't apping for credit in the next few months you can certainly test it out. Let both cards report 1 month, 1 card the next, neither the next. Then you can see exactly how these 3 different scenarios impact your score with respect to utilization.

I already tried letting only 1 report and letting them both report 0. When I let them both report zero my EX score dropped but my TU/EQ went up. When i let one report a balance (Cap1) my scores all went up. Since I've tried letting them both report a balance and one of my scores droppep I'm kinda scared to test out letting them both report a balance lol. I'm trying to get my score as high as possible because I'm aiming for the Amex BCE or the CITI costco anywhere card. I'll be applying for one of those around Feb of next year. I'm still not sure which one.