Which of these scenarios will help improve my FICO score

[Anonymous]

Thank you in advance for any proven sugggestions you may be able to offer.

At the end of March, I paid off all of my revolving balances at once, leaving me with just an auto loan to still pay on. 

I am hoping to raise my score, currently 632

My question is, would I be better off freezing these cards in a block of ice or scheduling fixed expenses such as auto insurance and utilities to come off of one of these cards and then immediatley pay it in full with my checking account? I don't want to incur any new expenses to keep them working for me so I was hoping that if it's ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY, to just use bills I already have to pay to achieve that. I have about $ 2500 credit available on bank cards and $ 3500 available in store cards, again all with zero balances.

I hear one thing and then another. Is there a real "answer"? 

I want desperately to make the right choice here.

ALSO, WHAT IS THE SECRET TO CREDIT LINE INCREASES? PAYMENT IN FULL EACH MONTH OR SLOW GRADUAL PAINSTAKING PAYMENT MONTH AFTER MONTH....after month.

[Anonymous]

The key is keeping your cards active with low balances.  Try not to charge more than 30% of any limit during any reporting period.  A card must show activity quarterly to be considered an active account by the FICO scre.  Don't close any accounts even if you don't use them as this can dramatically increase utilization.

Use the cards wisely, I would reccommend rotating which one you use for any given month if you're going with paying regular expenses then PIF every month, that way one month it would show a balance the next thre months it would show 0.  This would help keep all cards active with good usage and great payment history.

[Anonymous]

Brammy,

Thanks for your reply,

I can see rotating fixed expenses between the two bank cards but what about the store cards? I don't want to make a purchase quarterly with those. I'm trying to break the habit. How much will having  and not using the store cards in particular hurt me?

[yoreljm]

If you dont want anything at the stores, don't buy anything. I called my CC and ask the best way to get increase, and I was told to pay in full each month.

[TheNewWorldMan]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Brammy,

Thanks for your reply,

I can see rotating fixed expenses between the two bank cards but what about the store cards? I don't want to make a purchase quarterly with those. I'm trying to break the habit. How much will having and not using the store cards in particular hurt me?

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Just buy one really small thing. If you have a Sears card, buy a $39 belt or pair of shoes. If you have a Shell card, buy a tank of gas. Then take two or three months to pay it off. You can keep your credit score up without carrying a significant balance. If you have a $500 limit, a $39 purchase is still only about 8% utilization, which is not going to significantly impact your standing with the credit issuer or your FICO.