TU drop--because retail trade accounts at 0 balance

[crrredit]

I have two CCs reporting and one store card. I let one card report a small balance each month. This month I paid the store card before the statement date so it reported a 0 balance and let a CC report. Got an alert that my TU score dropped 13 points, and the reason why was my total balance for all "retail trades accounts" had changed to 0.

I thought the best thing was to let one card, whether CCs or store cards, report a small balance and have the others at 0.  

Have a third CC that had its first statement closing today. Wondering how to manage this now. Seems like a Catch-22. If I let the store card report, I'll have zero balance on CCs. If I let a CC report, I'll have zero balance on store cards.  Geesh. This isn't a critical time for me to maximize my score--waiting for baddies to drop. Want to have it figured out though.

[gdale6]

---

@crrredit wrote:

I have two CCs reporting and one store card. I let one card report a small balance each month. This month I paid the store card before the statement date so it reported a 0 balance and let a CC report. Got an alert that my TU score dropped 13 points, and the reason why was my total balance for all "retail trades accounts" had changed to 0.

I thought the best thing was to let one card, whether CCs or store cards, report a small balance and have the others at 0.  It is but if your total balances drop to 0 (AT THE CRA) before another card reports its small balance you are going to get the Fico drop as you just did.

Have a third CC that had its first statement closing today. Wondering how to manage this now. Seems like a Catch-22. If I let the store card report, I'll have zero balance on CCs. If I let a CC report, I'll have zero balance on store cards.  Geesh. This isn't a critical time for me to maximize my score--waiting for baddies to drop. Want to have it figured out though.

---

[cartwrna]

I have had the same results, not all accounts reporting 0, I had a credit card reporting a small balance but paid off all of my store cards and got a FICO drop for the same reason you stated, retail trade accounts reporting 0 balance. I'm past the point of monitoring my score though due to not needing anything new anytime soon on credit, so I'll take the drop with pride LOL. About to put my reports on ice though as I can't stop appping for new cards!!! I now have an arsenal, my newest being the WalMart MC and Toys R Us MC I added today :-/

[crrredit]

gdale--you were right. The one balance I left on a card had not reported. It just did and I got all those points back.