I believe in the 1-9% utli. I have just recently been reading about the 1-9 and plan to get my cc's down to around that within the next two months.
However, I will say that I don't think that the 1-9% utli is written in stone, IMO, I think what Tuscani and others are saying, as well as the link back on Tuscani's post....if you we have bad or poor credit and we are trying to build our credit back up, it is a good ideal to follow those amounts as best as possible in order to practice managing our credit in a better/different way.
My credit balances are 30% to 50% max and Fico does have in a yellow highlighted box GOOD. But on the other hand, I do want to get my balances down to about 9%. Personally, I think it would look better for me in the long run.
It does take time...time that seems like a lifetime. But hang in there and pay on time. I am in the low 600's, but I plan to be in the 700 club by the end of this year, if not sooner. It will be much relief and seven long years.
But I have not given up, and neither should you.