AZEO Method

[Anonymous]

Heres the deal, I'm currently gardening out my current credit lines over the course of the next 2 years (right around the time my final INQ falls off all of my reports, The 2 Cap1 cards I have will be used monthly for a couple bucks here and there and paid directly back off after the transaction posts. However I'm wanting to funnel ALL of my normal spending through the Discover card for the 1 year cashback match offer.

The discover card gets paid every week after my paycheck hits as it was .

Would I benefit from AZEO?

[FireMedic1]

Yes it will help with scores. But to have the FICO bonus as I call it. Do you have any installment loans? If not. Self lender would help or a CU credit building loan. Some will say you dont have to stay at AZEO. But you dont have to be paying each week. Just pay the balance on the 2 Cap1 cards before statement cut date. Then let your Disco report 2-4% on statement date and then PIF. Do put 1 purchase on each Cap1 card each month and PIF before statement date to stay AZEO. Just a big bite would do. LOL!!!!!!!!

I have been AZEO since BK DC and it didnt hurt me in any way.

[Revelate]

AZEO is an instant-in-time optimization, so you don't have to zealously manage your revolving balances except when you have an application coming up or you're trying to test something (if that's your thing).

I'd run my financial life through the Discover card if that makes sense, as long as you're keeping within your means and can cut the check for the balances anyway it's really not a problem where the balances wind up month to month.

Then once it's time to apply for something, simply pretty the reported balances up.

[Anonymous]

Makes sense I been funneling everything through the discover for all that cash back goodness. I don't anticipate the 2 cap1 cards to grow seeing as they are just starter cards I was thinking of putting Hulu on one then funimation on the other that way they do see some activity

[jwa77]

Does this mean that constanlty keeping AZEO is not recommended? I recently switched to this because my two oldest cards won't budge on their limit (WF and Cap1) but I was recently issued the vaunted CSP whose limit is now above 15k; which with regular spend, woudln't require me to constatnly pay down to stay below ~29%

[calyx]

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@jwa77 wrote:

Does this mean that constanlty keeping AZEO is not recommended? I recently switched to this because my two oldest cards won't budge on their limit (WF and Cap1) but I was recently issued the vaunted CSP whose limit is now above 15k; which with regular spend, woudln't require me to constatnly pay down to stay below ~29%

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I think some of us don't "recommend it" in the sense that micromanaging your profile could get tedious and counter productive.   The most I am willing to do at this point is keep any of my cards below 30% utilization.   Does AZEO "optimize" your score? Sure, but it's not going to grow any faster.

All of my cards are reporting balances and my total util is ~14% and I'm definitely not unhappy with my scores.   I'm not going to kill myself micromanaging payments and postings to get a few extra points when I don't need to worry about applying for anything major.  It's just not worth it to me.   But you do whatever works for you.

[Anonymous]

I don't recall who started this AZEO hype in the first place but it's a bit insane to do if you're not planning on something like a car or house.

It's meant to optimize your scores for a large purchase.  If you're re/building it's possible to be good for an app on a CC but, if you're gardening you'll get more of a pop by just letting things post each month and autopay the balance.  I've been doing this for years now and have the limits and scores to prove it works.  There's no need to be like the IRS and audit your balances every month.  Set it and forget it but check & verify it each month especially if you move or change primary bank accounts.

ETA: so, back in 2017 ABCD2199 started discussing this method.  

[Anonymous]

Fair points on all fronts, I think I'll just use the Cap1 cards for small purchases (1 per card each month, under $8 each.)

I dont intend on apping for anything for a while anyways. Thanks for all of the replys.

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

I don't recall who started this AZEO hype in the first place but it's a bit insane to do if you're not planning on something like a car or house.

It's meant to optimize your scores for a large purchase.  If you're re/building it's possible to be good for an app on a CC but, if you're gardening you'll get more of a pop by just letting things post each month and autopay the balance.  I've been doing this for years now and have the limits and scores to prove it works.  There's no need to be like the IRS and audit your balances every month.  Set it and forget it but check & verify it each month especially if you move or change primary bank accounts.

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I don't disagree with your post above, but don't think it applies to everyone in all situations.  Is AZEO "meant" to optimize scores for a large purchase?  Yes for some, but for others it is simply a practice to optimize scores for any reason.  One major one, albeit intangible, is the mental satisfaction of seeing your score as high as possible.  For some, especially those coming from a dark place/rebuild, that intangible is huge.  I rocked AZEO for part of 2017 and the better part of 2018 until I saw "perfect" scores simply because it was emotionally/mentally satisfying for me to see my scores as high as possible. 

As for getting more "pop" as you say by letting things post each month, I think that's arguable.  There's no way to quantify that or know for sure if that's the case.  I don't feel I missed out on anything significant by rolling with AZEO for a year or so even though I had no major applications approaching at the time.  Coming from low 600's scores a couple of years earlier though, seeing my scores as high as possible during my rebuild helped keep me motivated to reach the top of the mountain and not give up hope.

[Anonymous]

Staying AZEO does not hurt anything. But it is a lot of work for nothing if you do not have a point or purpose for it.