@Anonymous wrote:
Hello again,
I thought I remember seeing that having many cards with a balance showing can be a score ding but Im not 100% sure on that. is that true and if so, what is the max percentage before that ding hits?
Very Enlightening Experiment that shows some great data points concerning this matter from @Anonymous
Experian: I started at 847 and my score remained at 847 the entire time during this test. All the way up to 9 of 9 accounts with balances, rock solid 847 score. I'd say that my Experian score is bullet proof to number of accounts with balances. About a week after arriving back at AZEO, due to age of accounts factors increasing on 9/1/18 my 847 score ticked up to 850. At that point I went to AZ (no revolvers with a balance) and my score dropped to 825. It's important to mention this, as from the image I provided it suggests I only lost 22 points here, where the loss was really at least 25 points (you never know if there's any top end buffer there). My conclusion here is that Experian cares the least about number of accounts with balances, but cares the most about whether or not you are showing any revolving credit use at all.
TransUnion: TU did not experience any ding until 4 of 8 accounts (50%) had reported balances. 63%, 88% and 100% also seemed to be ding-points. Interesting that the first ding at 50% is about half of what is experienced from the final 2 dings.
Equifax: 3 of 8 accounts with balances (38%) results in the first scoring ding seen. It has been discussed on this forum that EQ first dings you at 33%, so my data here supports that claim. Next, I saw a ding at 50% of accounts with balances, but that ding of 2 points was half that of the 4 point ding associated with hitting 33% first. 2 more dings were seen at 75% and 88% of accounts with balances, but nothing at 100%
I found it interesting that the first ding related to number of accounts with balances on TU mattered the least, where on EQ it mattered the most.
Also, a recap of "no revolving credit use" in going to AZ on revolvers resulted in -25 EX, -16 TU, -16 EQ. Again, this could be a point or two higher on EX/TU as both of those scores were coming down from 850, meaning there could have potentially been a little buffer at play.
What I really wanted to find out in doing this experiment was how much of a hit my scores would take when comparing being at AZEO (ideal) to all accounts with reported balances. The answer?
EX 0, TU -15, EQ -11.
Link below to complete post
Number-Balances Reporting
