How long should I wait to app for a loan?

[SomeGuyOnTheWeb]

So I'm, obviously, planning on apping for a car loan. I just went ahead and paid down some of my outstanding balances on my credit cards before the statement cuts for maximum scoring purposes. I'm just curious as to when the best time would be to apply for a loan? Once I see my balances update? Or should I hold off for a month or longer?

[SamsungHDTV]

If the balances are significantly less then you should wait until they report which could be 1-2 months depending on creditor. Although, if your scores in 700+ I don't think it will matter too much.

[SomeGuyOnTheWeb]

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@SamsungHDTV wrote:

If the balances are significantly less then you should wait until they report which could be 1-2 months depending on creditor. Although, if your scores in 700+ I don't think it will matter too much.

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I paid Cap1 from about $110 to $0, and Discover from $1,880 to $0. They cut on the 19th and 20th respectively, and I usually get an update to my EQ about the 23rd/24th of the month. Even though this is a YMMV thing, I was curious as to whether or not dealerships/banks/CU's pull the most recent reports or if they go back a couple of months? Because if they go back a few months, I think I'd be better served holding off. Don't want to take a bunch of HP's for nothing.

[SamsungHDTV]

They will pull the most updated credit report available.