Confused!!!

[KellyP25721]

I have 3 credit cards reporting balances for a total utilization of 16%.  Trying to maximize my scores so I paid two of them off, although only one has been reported to the CRA's.  TU jumps 12 points and Ex jumps 3 and EQ drops 3?

[KellyP25721]

It doesn't make sense when they dinged me 15 pts two months ago when I orginally let all the cards report a balance.

[NRB525]

Your scores are a bit low. Do you have any negatives such as charge offs, lates of any kind, disputes, BK, any negative in your file?

How long have you had your CC?

[tonyjones]

FICO scores are all over the place with you have derogs, it's really hard to pinpoint anything.

[KellyP25721]

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@NRB525 wrote:

Your scores are a bit low. Do you have any negatives such as charge offs, lates of any kind, disputes, BK, any negative in your file?

How long have you had your CC?

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Yes, I do have some derogs that I have been trying to goodwill but had not luck on. So I do understand why my socres are on the low side.  With nothing new reporting for the past year, my scores have only fluctuated based on credit card usage.  So what I'm trying to understand is why I didn't get the points back when I paid the card off again.  They dinged me 10pts when the 2nd card reported a balance and then 4 more points when the 3rd card reported a balance.  I was expected to get the points back when I paid the card off again.  It always has in the past.

[Anonymous]

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@KellyP25721 wrote:

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@NRB525 wrote:

Your scores are a bit low. Do you have any negatives such as charge offs, lates of any kind, disputes, BK, any negative in your file?

How long have you had your CC?

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Yes, I do have some derogs that I have been trying to goodwill but had not luck on. So I do understand why my socres are on the low side.  With nothing new reporting for the past year, my scores have only fluctuated based on credit card usage.  So what I'm trying to understand is why I didn't get the points back when I paid the card off again.  They dinged me 10pts when the 2nd card reported a balance and then 4 more points when the 3rd card reported a balance.  I was expected to get the points back when I paid the card off again.  It always has in the past.

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And it will occur again shortly. I can almost assure you, that if everything else remains constant, that you'll see your scores move upward in the next few weeks.  Scores go up when you lower your utilization.  They may not go up as quickly as you like or in the fashion that you think it should, but they do go up.  I think you'll notice a upward climb in the next few days/week.  I can't say why your score reacted the way it did but I do know that it wll go up. 

[KellyP25721]

The 2nd card I payed off reported today and my score jumped 16 points so who knows how they calculate this stuff.  I guess it's their job to keep us guessing!  

[Vegas247]

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@KellyP25721 wrote:

The 2nd card I payed off reported today and my score jumped 16 points so who knows how they calculate this stuff.  I guess it's their job to keep us guessing!  

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Did you update your current FICO scores in you signature? Or do you still have to update your sig?

[tonyjones]

I never understood when people here say to leave all balances $0 except one card at 1-10%. It seems like FICO dings you for any revolving account with $0 balance.

[NRB525]

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@tonyjones wrote:

I never understood when people here say to leave all balances $0 except one card at 1-10%. It seems like FICO dings you for any revolving account with $0 balance.

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I don't think there is any science to that idea at all. It's a case where the most particular people use that as a way to get utilization down, they see a score drop when the cards come out of zero balance, and conclude the card needs to stay at zero balance. The real issue is, utilization should be kept low, overall. One card reporting 1%-9% does that nicely, but it's the utilization overall, not the "only one card with balance" that affects the score.