topic Re: Help me guess my score drop in General Credit Topics

Help me guess my score drop

SRT4kid93 — Thu, 07 Aug 2025 21:54:12 GMT

In an effort to coax capital one into giving me a CLI I'm considering letting my balance post again. I stopped doing that to please Amex so I could get an increase with them, so I'm thinking after I get my Amex CLi I'll try to coax capital 1.

The fico simulator does not have an option to increase your balance, only to pay off your balance, and even so they are not known for being super accurate, so please help me guess my score drop if I were to do this.

my balances would look like this

cap 1- about $4500/5000 90% util

chase-$0/10000

amex-$0/1000

aggregate-$4500/16000 (28%)

let's use Experian in this scenario, current score is 706.

aaoA-2 years 3 months

1 missed payment that's 4 years old

Re: Help me guess my score drop

Vinjints — Thu, 07 Aug 2025 22:00:07 GMT

I've got a hard time believing, or understanding the logic, that if you let a balance report on a card from Bank A, then Bank A will be more inclined to give you an increase. They see the spend and payments regardless.

Re: Help me guess my score drop

SRT4kid93 — Thu, 07 Aug 2025 22:14:41 GMT

Honestly I don't know what to believe.

I got my first increase from them without letting balances post, and it was substantial.

but now it's time for my second increase, and they denied me and are hitting me with the "we are evaluating usage at current limits"

Most people believe that means they are unsure if you are utilizing enough of your current limits.

And if they say "usage too low at current limits" then your spending is 100% too low. Some people disagree on what evaluating usage denial code means, but most tend to agree. So I figured it was worth a shot.

plus the fact that there are so many stories of people struggling to get increases and then they max out their cards and bam, 3 months later they get one. So I don't know anymore. Capital 1 is too hard to gauge.

Re: Help me guess my score drop

JoeRockhead — Thu, 07 Aug 2025 22:21:17 GMT

@Vinjints wrote:
I've got a hard time believing, or understanding the logic, that if you let a balance report on a card from Bank A, then Bank A will be more inclined to give you an increase. They see the spend and payments regardless.

^^^^^This 100%.... The notion that you need to let a balance report to impress anyone, but especially the one you're seeking an increase from is absolute malarkey... It would only be taken seriously perhaps by those who subscribe wholly to all the various"credit myths" over on that other credit platform.

Just for kicks though, I'm guessing you'll take a 60++ point hit for the maxed out account... Possible bonus prizes if you also set off alarm bells with your other issuers.

Re: Help me guess my score drop

JoeRockhead — Thu, 07 Aug 2025 22:23:16 GMT

@SRT4kid93 wrote:
Honestly I don't know what to believe.

I got my first increase from them without letting balances post, and it was substantial.

but now it's time for my second increase, and they denied me and are hitting me with the "we are evaluating usage at current limits"

Most people believe that means they are unsure if you are utilizing enough of your current limits.

And if they say "usage too low at current limits" then your spending is 100% too low. Some people disagree on what evaluating usage denial code means, but most tend to agree. So I figured it was worth a shot.

plus the fact that there are so many stories of people struggling to get increases and then they max out their cards and bam, 3 months later they get one. So I don't know anymore. Capital 1 is too hard to gauge.

No, it means you haven't had enough experience with the limit you currently have, please try again at a later time.

Re: Help me guess my score drop

SRT4kid93 — Thu, 07 Aug 2025 23:11:28 GMT

@JoeRockhead

that explanation makes a lot more sense, that was what I first thought as well until I researched the exact denial code I received, and everyone except you and 1 other person said that means I'm not spending enough. Which made me start to second guess myself, which is what prompted me to come over here. Then they claimed they let larger balances post and the denial reason went away, but it could just be that they got more experience with that credit limit, NOT the large statement balances.

Since most of the information I'm referencing was found on Reddit. And I'm more inclined to believe you/others on my fico over anyone on Reddit. I will probably just wait it out and see what happens.

thanks!

Re: Help me guess my score drop

Yasselife — Thu, 07 Aug 2025 23:17:07 GMT

Maxing out a single card to 90% utilization will almost certainly cause a noticeable score drop; even if your overall utilization stays under 30%. For many profiles; that kind of high individual card usage can knock 20–40 points off temporarily. The good news is the drop should reverse once you pay it back down before the next statement closes. If you go this route; just make sure you can bring it back under 30% quickly to avoid any lasting impact.

Re: Help me guess my score drop

FicoMike0 — Thu, 07 Aug 2025 23:48:42 GMT

Ditto @JoeRockhead

If anything, posting 90% might put you on the balance chasing watchlist. I think Capone does respond to spend, but I don't see letting it post As a requirement and certainly not over 49%.

As far as amex, I've seen no indication that high spend is required to get a cli. At month six they auto increased my bce from $6000 to $9000, I never charged or posted more than $1000 in any month. The next time around, they granted my 3X request to $27000.

Re: Help me guess my score drop

SRT4kid93 — Thu, 07 Aug 2025 23:54:00 GMT

@FicoMike0

Yea as far as I've seen Amex doesn't play those stupid games with people. It's really only cap 1 that has a terrible rep for "only granting CLi if you allow heavy balances to report" there's probably thousands of threads on the exact topic on Reddit. And all of their "top 1% commenters" repeat the message as well. (Their top 1% commenters is Reddit's version of community leaders/credit mentors)

Re: Help me guess my score drop

Jnbmom — Fri, 08 Aug 2025 00:08:10 GMT

As others have stated maxing out a card to 90% utilization to possibly get an increase is just plain silly .

Re: Help me guess my score drop

CaneVariant — Fri, 08 Aug 2025 00:35:06 GMT

I know they chant this over on reddit but I have to ask if you think a CLI is worth potentially "triggering" other lenders (specifically AMEX since it seems you are a big fan) like @JoeRockhead suggests? IME following @JoeRockhead's advice is the way to go. With regards to C1 I focused all spend with them for 4 months @~50% utilization. I was rewarded with a great limit on my VX. I am going to guess 80 pt drop but no "bonus AA" from your other lenders. Way to be your DP

Re: Help me guess my score drop

CaneVariant — Fri, 08 Aug 2025 00:42:43 GMT

I apologize, I just realized your aggregate is less than 29% so the hit won't be 80 points bad maybe closer to 40.

Re: Help me guess my score drop

JoeRockhead — Fri, 08 Aug 2025 02:01:45 GMT

@SRT4kid93 wrote:
@FicoMike0

there's probably thousands of threads on the exact topic on Reddit. And all of their "top 1% commenters" repeat the message as well. (Their top 1% commenters is Reddit's version of community leaders/credit mentors)

So, if you hear misinformation enough times does that simply make it true? No. No matter how many times you try to rationalize, or argue this position, it's still false. There is no more weight given by lenders for allowing a balance to post.

As I've pointed out to you before in a previous post, I've also seen them say repeatedly that you can use 100% of your CL as long as you PIF by the due date you'll be all good... that might be true for people with well established, thick profiles to a degree. For those with young, thin profiles it's just asking for trouble IMO.

I've also seen them scold people when Heaven forbid someone inquires about paying their balances before the statement cuts. But, we all know it's a proven way to positively manipulate scores. With trending scores like Fico 10T and VS4 likely to become more prevalent, establishing a trend of lower reported utilization and subsequent higher scores is nothing but a good thing.

Do, and believe as you please @SRT4kid93, but you should consider that some of those folks love to hear the clacking of their own keyboards above all else.

Re: Help me guess my score drop

SRT4kid93 — Fri, 08 Aug 2025 02:25:40 GMT

@JoeRockhead

No I appreciate you, I just wasn't sure what to believe specially when it comes to capital one. For 99.9% of the lenders out there I know you are 100% correct. Big balances, are bad.

it's like you said. You saying you don't need to let balances post doesn't make it true and someone else saying you should let balances post to see the most lucrative results doesn't make them correct.

so I came here to try to get a gauge because i trust this forum more than Reddit. And yea, I know we have talked about this before, and you convinced me in the past, but then I got denied for an increase with that cryptic denial code, and I got confused all over again. So I just think I needed some more reassurance, as I have a bad habit of second guessing myself.

Re: Help me guess my score drop

FicoMike0 — Sat, 09 Aug 2025 01:09:56 GMT

@SRT4kid93

If you do run your account to 90% and then do get a big cli, that would be a big data point! Likewise if they decline, I guess. Maybe you can contribute some original science here. I would love to know the answer for sure.

My last Capone cl I was $300, lol. I have been putting a lot of spend on savor, but for me, a lot is 15%. I'm not a big spender. Maybe when my annual car insurance comes due, I'll put it on savior.