Alternating Cards

[Walt_K]

---

@L-TWT wrote:

acct balances are relative, b/c if each of my open trade lines report a balance less than 3-5% of my overall available CL, there would be no effect on CS......

---

This is not correct.  Utilization is scored both overall and individually.  

The general rule of thumb is not 1-9% overall utilization.  It is to have one card report, and to have that card report 1-9% of that card's CL.  To illustrate, imagine you have $100K of credit.  You could have $5K balance on a card with a $5500 CL.  You would still have 5% utilization, but you would see a fairly significant score decrease by having a maxed out card.

There is also a score ding to having too many cards with balances.  

[Fiishii]

Ah, so how new is new?

As in _months to _years is considered new to credit?

[L-TWT]

---

@Walt_K wrote:

---

@L-TWT wrote:

acct balances are relative, b/c if each of my open trade lines report a balance less than 3-5% of my overall available CL, there would be no effect on CS......

---

This is not correct.  Utilization is scored both overall and individually.  

The general rule of thumb is not 1-9% overall utilization.  It is to have one card report, and to have that card report 1-9% of that card's CL.  To illustrate, imagine you have $100K of credit.  You could have $5K balance on a card with a $5500 CL.  You would still have 5% utilization, but you would see a fairly significant score decrease by having a maxed out card.

There is also a score ding to having too many cards with balances.  

---

maybe i should worded my comment a little different, i was not referring to 3-5% of total CC utilization, i was referring 1 card in particular!

[takeshi74]

---

@Walt_K wrote:
So 30 months of maxed out cards will not matter the next month when you pay them all down.

Scoring wise the 30 months don't matter but one should expect AA well before 30 months of being maxed out.

---

@Fiishii wrote:

But when should I start utilizing the "1 card report" trick?

---

Whenever you're trying to eke out as many points for your score.  I.e. when you're applying for something.