Questions while paying down debt

[Anonymous]

I have been working on paying down my debt and have thought of a few questions while doing so.

1.  I paid off balances on various cards early last month and yet my scores and reports are still showing the debt I had previously (AX is the only one that is properly reflected, and that happened almost immediately).  I realize these things can be reported at different times but I thought after the first of the month, everything would be current.  How long can it take to see the current balances reflected?  

2.  I paid off these cards with a loan I got through Lending Club.  Will that loan get reported?  I'm doing scorewatch and have seen no sign of that loan showing up anywhere.   

3.  I have 3 store cards with $0 balances and just paid off 2 of my 3 CCs.  I want to keep all of these cards but use them only on an emergency basis, more or less.  Is it going to be problematic if I don't use these cards?  Or should I use them once a month or so for small purchases and pay them in full instead?  Is it possible for a card to be closed by the company due to inactivity?

[llecs]

1) CCs report the balances you had on the statement date and will report that balance within a few days following the statement date. So, if you paid a CC on the 20th of October, for example, and the statement date isn't until the 12th of this month, then you won't see a CR update until the 12th-17th, or somewhere in that range. YMMV on the CC of course.

If you are relying on SW for an update, know that SW won't alert you to balance decreases. However, if your target score is properly set, know that SW will monitor your EQ FICO for changes every 7-10 days and if your EQ FICO hit or surpassed your target score, then you'll get an alert when it is monitored next.

2) LC will report on TU and EX only, so you won't get a SW alert.

3) Use them every 3-4 months just to keep them active, and PIF.

[bettercreditguy1]

+1. I use my sock drawered cc's , twice or three times a year. It also helps so they do not lower your credit card limit.