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1 revolving, 1 installment, best boost?

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Anonymous
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1 revolving, 1 installment, best boost?

CFCU has changed the reporting on my overdraft from revolving to loan. I only have it and my NFCU platinum (which Navy is showing as an installment loan to one bureau now to???). Would having a small balance on both for reporting boost my score more than keeping a small balance on only one or the other? Less than 5% of course.
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Anonymous
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Re: 1 revolving, 1 installment, best boost?

From a pure scoring perspective, FICO 8 really likes it when you have an open loan with a small positive current balance compared to the original loan amount. 

 

In your case it sounds like this "overdraft" is reporting as a loan, so be sure to look at your credit reports and see how it is conceptualizing the "original loan amount" -- probably it is doing this based on the maximum amount your OD can be.  You want your current loan balance / original loan amount to be < 8.99% (assuming you have no other loans).

 

Before you get too happy about this, be sure you understand the financial implications of it.  If your checking account is constantly overdrawn, does the bank not like that?  Is it possible that they could close the account?  How much does it cost you to have a $5 overdraft each month?

 

The scoring point penalty between no open loans with a positive balance vs. at least one loan with a small positive balance is about 30 points.  You could simply live with the penalty most months and then in the 40 days before an important app for credit overdraw your account and get the boost.

 

Likewise FICO really likes it when you have one card with a positive balance.  It dislikes it when ALL your cards have a positive balance.  Unfortunately, because you only have one card, you have to choose between the two, and the best choice is to let your card report a positive balance.  In the medium term, however, you should be looking to add a few more cards so you can have one card with a balance and the others at zero.

 

 

Message 2 of 5
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: 1 revolving, 1 installment, best boost?

It is like nfcu cloc in that I can draw from it separately from the account so no overdrafting or fees outside applied daily interest.
Message 3 of 5
Anonymous
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Re: 1 revolving, 1 installment, best boost?

Bad idea to use a checking overdraft unless it’s an emergency. Each and every time you overdraft you incur a fee. Fees are bad. It’s throwing away money. Naturally thru life you will have real installment loans. Do it enough and checking accounts get closed. 

Message 4 of 5
SouthJamaica
Mega Contributor

Re: 1 revolving, 1 installment, best boost?


wrote:

Bad idea to use a checking overdraft unless it’s an emergency. Each and every time you overdraft you incur a fee. Fees are bad. It’s throwing away money. Naturally thru life you will have real installment loans. Do it enough and checking accounts get closed. 


Not so. I have 4 overdraft lines of credit, which do not incur any fee.


Total revolving limits 741200 (620700 reporting) FICO 8: EQ 703 TU 704 EX 691

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