Accounts Reporting to CRA

[Cory88]

How many is accounts being reported to the CRA to too many? I have:

10 CC (All have low balance to CL)

2 PLOC

2 Installmet Loans

AAoA is 3.5y

I'm just trying to get down on the credit that is used. What would be a better number to get down to? I know I can pay before the statement cuts.

[Anonymous]

Ideally you want no more than a third of your cards reporting a balance if you're talking about FICO 8/9 but the older scores benefit from as little as one card with a balance. 

[BmoreBull]

 Not sure if I'm understanding you correctly, but I think you're referring to utilization. If so you would want your individual cards to ideally be reporting under 8.9% and your total aggregate utilization to be under 30%. I also think I read somewhere here that you want no more than 3 cards reporting a balance. I'm not positive on that one. Others will chime in I'm sure. 

[Anonymous]

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@BmoreBull wrote:

 Not sure if I'm understanding you correctly, but I think you're referring to utilization. If so you would want your individual cards to ideally be reporting under 8.9% and your total aggregate utilization to be under 30%. I also think I read somewhere here that you want no more than 3 cards reporting a balance. I'm not positive on that one. Others will chime in I'm sure. 

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I can attest to FICO taking a huge hit if even ONE of TEN cards is beyond thresholds. When they say "utilization" it makes it sound like an aggregate balace:limit number, per their dashboard and visuals, but this not-so-obviously applies per card as well. It can drop your score 50 points if you have a single card maxed out. 

[Anonymous]

No, you want aggregate revolving utilization at 9% or less and you want individual revolving utilization at 29% or less.

Utilization is separate from what we thought you asked about which was how many cards should you report with a balance. Is that what you were asking? Because as you were told for 8/9, no more than a third with a balance is usually good, so that means for you, 4 or less reporting a balance.