In March/April 2026 my BK fell off my reports and my FICO 8 scores all went to 850. I decided to use my new shiny profile to apply for a HEL to pay for roofing.
The loan closed and has now reported on all three bureaus. I expected that I would lose some points for the new loan due to the inquiry, new account, untilization and aging. However, I only lost points on FICO 8 on Equifax coinciding with the alert that a new acount had been added to my EQ report. I assumed I lost points on all bureaus but that it came out of the "buffer" above 850. Yesterday, though, My Equifax FICO 8 rebounded back to 850.
I'm a bit confused as to what is going on. Additionally, Equifax has dipped a couple times over the last couple months and then rebounded with no indication of why.
- 5/17/26 I lost 2 points with no coinciding alert and on 5/15/26 I gained 2 points back again with no coinciding alert.
- 6/16/26 I lost 5 points with no coinciding alert and on 7/3/26 I gained 5 points coinciding with an alert saying I reduced a loan balance (normal payment).
- 7/30/26 I lost 3 points with a coinciding alert for my HEL being added to my report and on 8/1/26 I gained the 2 points back with no coinciding alert.
This is like Vantage Score level "noise", lol.
My two questions are:
1) What would account for these score fluctuations?
2) Why didn't I lose points for the new tradeline, Inquiry, age and utilization?
On my second question I am assuming that age and utilization, being averages, were probably minimized due to my mortgage (65% remaining) and car loan (61% remaining) being paid down as well as revolving utilization being .3% (AZEO) . AAoA went from 8.79 to 8.17 as best as I can calculate. My last new account was the car loan opened in March 2025.
Thoughts and ideas welcome.
@Thomas_Thumb wrote:Congrats on the BK falling off.
The amount of buffer can differ by CRA even if each file is reporting identical info. If the HP is on EQ only that is a likely cause for a reduced buffer on that CRA. What are your account detail differences amoung your CRAs?
For inquiries, Equifax was the one that was pulled for the HEL 5/16 which made for 3 inquiries on Equifax in the last 12 months. The other inquiries aged 12 months 6/29/26 and 7/2/26. All CRAs are the same except that Equifax shows one less credit card (United Refining doesn't report to Equifax).
EQ and TU scores are more sensitive to # of accounts with balances than EX. Has your number of accounts showing balances been fluctuating? Also, Fico does look at total reported aggregate balance in $ as well as UT%. The lowest $ balance threshold appears to be around $2k with another one around $5k.
As I wrote in the OP, AZEO with <1% utilization (~$350) each month. Two installment loans (mortgage and car loan) with remaining balances around 65% of original loan amounts.
Your loan paydown would be a trigger for score pulls but likely not the cause of the 5 point score change. It looks like unspecified non trigger events caused the drop and rebound.
I answered in-line above. It just seems very odd.
@Thomas_Thumb wrote:The added info is insightful. If I read this correctly for EQ:
1. You had 2 INQ under 12 months in April.
Yes. Yes, I did.
2. You added a 3rd INQ on EQ on 5/17. (Note: with loans there is a 30 day buffer before a new HP impacts Fico 8/9 score.).
That's correct. And that tracks with the drop a month later, but what about the coincidental 3 point drop at the time of the inquiry with subsequent recovery?
3. Adding a new INQ typically drops score 5 points for 12 months. So, impact of the 3rd triggers on 6/17 dropping score.
Yes, I can see that.
4. In late June an INQ ages to 12 months eliminating its impact. Score rises 5 points.
I'm with you.
5. Early July another INQ ages to 12 months leaving 1 active HP on EQ.
Tracking.
I believe the June dip and rebound was associated with HPs.
That makes sense.
The late July dip may relate to adding the new account and Aug increase due to the account aging to 1 month - which gets incremented uo on the 1st of the month.
That also makes sense.
Replies in-line above. And, thank you very much for walking me through this. That still leaves the 3 point May drop and recovery adrift, though. It's coincidental to the application for the HEL, but based on the idea of a 30 day filter, it is left as an open question in my mind.