Age old question: Pay off immediately or over time on Credit Cards to boost score

[Anonymous]

Hello there,

I am sure this topic has been thoroughly discussed but I am a newbie.

I realize getting CC down to low utilization rates is key.  Does it make a difference whether you pay a CC down 5,000 in one month or 5,000 over 3?  Does either way help or hurt your FICO score faster?  I would think that a one time payment gets the utilization lower faster and hence raises the score faster.  Is this correct thinking on my part?

thanks in advance.--deddy456

[MidnightVoice]

You are correect.  Get util as low as possible, keep it there and wait for age to improve things even more.

There is frequent confusion because many simulations seem to suggest paying over 24 months is better - that is because it adds 24 months of age.