How much of a score bump does going from 100% utilization to 0% give?

[credit2019]

> There re people on this board that got $25k credit cards from Navy Fed with 650 or lower.

I keep hearing people say stuff like this, and it is in direct contradiction with everything I have experienced. I haven’t been approved for a single new credit account (except for an iPhone upgrade program loan) since my score dipped below 680. All of my credit cards have kiddie limits on them, from $500 to $1000, I am denied for CL increases each and every time I ask for them, and have been denied for 5 or 6 new cards with a score around 650, with 0 approvals. This is with a perfect on-time payment history over about 3 years, and no derogs other than 1 small medical collection. I was even turned down for the Apple Card, twice, and my score was right around 650 one of the times I applied. After the last denial was when I started running up my CC usage, thinking maybe I could help myself by using the cards more. All that has done is trash my score even further.

Whatever it is that other people have in their files to get high limits (or approvals at all) with a sub-700 score, I don’t have it.

[Anonymous]

6 mo. out of BK7 DC.

Three weeks ago paid off all my cards from 96% UTIL to 1%.

Scores only rose 29-30 points.

[gdale6]

Medical collections are some of the easiest to get removed from your CRs, here are the steps that you should follow to address them:

1. Call the OC and see if insurance can be billed, (or-rebilled), collections ultimately paid by insurance get removed per new rules that came from CRAs settlement with 22 state AGs. If not then
2. see if you qualify for Charity Care, if not then
3.  ask that they recall the collection in exchange for full payment
4. Send the reporting CA a PFD offer
5. Google the HIPAA Process and contact its creator for help, this process cannot be discussed in any forum of myFico.

[Shooting-For-800]

---

@credit2019 wrote:
> There re people on this board that got $25k credit cards from Navy Fed with 650 or lower.

I keep hearing people say stuff like this, and it is in direct contradiction with everything I have experienced. I haven’t been approved for a single new credit account (except for an iPhone upgrade program loan) since my score dipped below 680. All of my credit cards have kiddie limits on them, from $500 to $1000, I am denied for CL increases each and every time I ask for them, and have been denied for 5 or 6 new cards with a score around 650, with 0 approvals. This is with a perfect on-time payment history over about 3 years, and no derogs other than 1 small medical collection. I was even turned down for the Apple Card, twice, and my score was right around 650 one of the times I applied. After the last denial was when I started running up my CC usage, thinking maybe I could help myself by using the cards more. All that has done is trash my score even further.

Whatever it is that other people have in their files to get high limits (or approvals at all) with a sub-700 score, I don’t have it.

---

If you really want to fix your credit...

Get the collection paid and removed.

Don’t apply for anything for the next 12 months.

Pay off 20% of your debt each month for the next 5 months.

When paying off debt, equalize utilization ratio for each account each month.

In 12 months, check for prequals and only apply for up to 3 cards.

In 18 months, check for prequals and only apply for up to 3 cards.

When applying, try to apply for cards that pull different CRs.

GL!

[Chestnut1]

---

@credit2019 wrote:
> There re people on this board that got $25k credit cards from Navy Fed with 650 or lower.

I keep hearing people say stuff like this, and it is in direct contradiction with everything I have experienced. I haven’t been approved for a single new credit account (except for an iPhone upgrade program loan) since my score dipped below 680. All of my credit cards have kiddie limits on them, from $500 to $1000, I am denied for CL increases each and every time I ask for them, and have been denied for 5 or 6 new cards with a score around 650, with 0 approvals. This is with a perfect on-time payment history over about 3 years, and no derogs other than 1 small medical collection. I was even turned down for the Apple Card, twice, and my score was right around 650 one of the times I applied. After the last denial was when I started running up my CC usage, thinking maybe I could help myself by using the cards more. All that has done is trash my score even further.

Whatever it is that other people have in their files to get high limits (or approvals at all) with a sub-700 score, I don’t have it.

---

Problem comes when you go on App Spree and that negatively impacts your approval chances. You gotta give some time before you apply for new Credit Cards. Lets those recent Hard Inquries age(12 months). Also, never blindly apply for credit cards. Check your PreQualify offers and only then you apply if you see something prequalified.

My Scores are hovering around 670s with 2 Derog accounts (both paid down to $0 balance). i recently got a Disco IT with a CL $10K and a week ago got an Amex Hilton Honors ($0 Annual fee) with a CL of $6000. So yes, there are people who do get cards with decent limits , if not higher limits. 

I entered into gardening phase and WILL NOT BE APPLYING for any credit for the next 15 months. I'm preparing myself for Mortage. 

you gotta have a goal and plan set as what you are trying to achieve eventually with your credit rebuilding. 

[fishbjc]

YMMV, paid two of husbands off and received 15 points.  Beats a kick in the arse!