topic Does missing cell phone bill payment hurt credit score? in General Credit Topics

Does missing cell phone bill payment hurt credit score?

Anonymous — Mon, 19 May 2008 15:39:49 GMT

Last month I missed payment of my cingular (AT&T) bill. This is the first time ever i have missed a payment on any account credit or otherwise. The FICO simulator says my score would come down from 705 to 600-645 if i miss a payment.

The account is listed in my EQ credit report. But it also lists Utility accounts.

So the question is do only credit accounts affect FICO score or any account on your file can potentially damage it.

Thanks !

inci-vinci

Re: Does missing cell phone bill payment hurt credit score?

Anonymous — Mon, 19 May 2008 15:42:03 GMT

Utilities affect your score if it goes into collections. You won't go into collections for missing one payment and getting caught up the next month.

Re: Does missing cell phone bill payment hurt credit score?

Anonymous — Mon, 19 May 2008 15:47:31 GMT

Thanks Shnapple !!

That's quite reassuring to know all the hard work of past 3 years won't go down the drain with the cell phone :-)

Re: Does missing cell phone bill payment hurt credit score?

Anonymous — Mon, 19 May 2008 17:15:27 GMT

inci_vinci wrote:
Last month I missed payment of my cingular (AT&T) bill. This is the first time ever i have missed a payment on any account credit or otherwise. The FICO simulator says my score would come down from 705 to 600-645 if i miss a payment.

The account is listed in my EQ credit report. But it also lists Utility accounts.

So the question is do only credit accounts affect FICO score or any account on your file can potentially damage it.

Thanks !
inci-vinci

Does Cingular report monthly? If so and you were 30+ days late and they report that, then yes it will affect your score.

Re: Does missing cell phone bill payment hurt credit score?

Anonymous — Mon, 19 May 2008 18:26:44 GMT

I have Cingular/ATT and they do not report monthly. I have never been late either.
I have no entry on any of the 3 credit reports from Cingular.

Wish they did report monthly so it would help MY credit reports being a positive account and not a negative, lol.

Re: Does missing cell phone bill payment hurt credit score?

BooBee — Mon, 19 May 2008 18:45:58 GMT

I've never known cell phone carriers to report to CRA's, unless you owe and it goes to collections.