Drop 48 points for no reason that I can find - is this "rebucketing"?

[kroberts67]

My EQ Fico hasn't changed in awhile while I've had minor balance fluctuations, mainly paying down balances.  The most recent INQ/new account was in June when I refi-ed my car.  It has reported each month since.

Today my score dropped 48 points from 666 to 618.  I had 3 alerts: 2 lower balances and one higher balance (only slightly, in fact I paid more than I charged and it really didn't make a diff in UT.  FICO says the "possible reason" for the drop was a recently aquired new account but didn't specify which or when.  My refi from 3 months ago that has been reporting since July??  If FICO is a snapshot this makes no sense to blame it on the refi.  

The only other thing I can think of that happened yesterday - and the reason I wonder if it's rebucketing me - is about 2 months ago I had a zero balance paid collection pop up on my EQ report.  I called the CA and they admitted it was reported in error and it was just finally deleted yesterday.  However, when they reported 2 months ago it didn't seem to affect my score.  Now dropping it would have this bad of an effect?  I don't think I would be rebucketed because I still have an old public record although it is not listed as negative since I'm making payments (my credit union told me this).

I'm just totally confused and sad.  

[llecs]

I don't think it's rebucketing for a couple of reasons: 1) the PR still reports, and 2) you have newer credit.

Have you pulled a new EQ report from somewhere to see if there are any changes that SW won't alert you to, like a CLD or a dropped TL?

[kroberts67]

Yep, I get all 3 every day.  The only thing that dropped on EQ, same day as score change on EQ, was the zero bal collection.  I'd think my score would go up - call me crazy.  

[llecs]

Was the collection a CA or CO?

[kroberts67]

It was reported by a CA. (as opposed to OC).  What is CO?

[kroberts67]

Sorry looked it up - charge off.  No, it wasn't a CO.  It was a PFD.  This was never on my EQ report to begin with, it was on my EX only, I paid in full in April I believe and it was deleted back then.  Then in August it was reported to EQ (where it was never previously reported at all) as zero balance collection - the CA said they reported in error and was finally deleted yesterday.  Same day as the drop.

[kroberts67]

Todays DCU score reports no drop...............   so ya got me.  Not trusting myFICO SW at the moment...  that thing I pay good money for..............  yeah.

[llecs]

I never used DCU's free EQ FICO. Are the scores real-time to the day they appear? I ask because I had M&T's EQ FICO service and that lagged by days, IIRC.

I asked about the collection because you can lose points when deleting an old CO. However, if your paid CA reported within the Collections section of your EQ report, then that wouldn't be the cause to the drop if deleted.

[kroberts67]

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@llecs wrote:

I never used DCU's free EQ FICO. Are the scores real-time to the day they appear? I ask because I had M&T's EQ FICO service and that lagged by days, IIRC.

I asked about the collection because you can lose points when deleting an old CO. However, if your paid CA reported within the Collections section of your EQ report, then that wouldn't be the cause to the drop if deleted.

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AFAIK they are real time, it specifies "FICO score as of 9/27/13".

[09Lexie]

There's actually a 7 day window in which the scores are pulled. IIRC, they are pulled the Tuesday before they are posted.