As casinoannie mentioned, it's often counter-productive to have 0% util on everything. (Although TU likes it once your scores are in the 760-ish range.) I just shoot for keeping 0% on all my cards, knowing that I will always have one with a balance slip through, or there will be a BT as I currently have. Every now and then, things get a little chaotic, and I wind up with three with balances. When this happens, I generally lose 5-6 points.
It's pretty meaningless for me at the moment, I suppose,because I'm not looking for credit, but I do like keeping my scores as high as I can get them. I don't have a whole lot left to do with my credit other than wait for my AAoA to creep upward (ever so slowly), so torturing my scores keeps me entertained.
I also like knowing that my creditors see a bunch of $0 balances when they soft me, so that they know I'm not flirting with excessive debt. They can see that the cards are being used (this shows on the full EX report that consumers can buy, and I'll betcha it shows on all the reports that lenders get), so they know that I keep my cards exercised.
And finally for me, as a poster child for adult ADHD, paying my cards early keeps me from the dreaded lates, which were the only problems I've ever had on credit reports. Never again!
In general, having those $0's report helps the util fraction of your FICO's. Many people who first come here and have 25% and 50% util showing because of paying their cards after the statement drops, but before the due date, get some astonishing score bumps just from controlling what reports.
If high revolving utilization is the first or second negative factor on anyone's FICO score reports, they might want to try this.
* Credit is a wonderful servant, but a terrible master. * Who's the boss --you or your credit?
FICO's: EQ 781 - TU 793 - EX 779 (from PSECU) - Done credit hunting; having fun with credit gardening. - EQ 590 on 5/14/2007
