FICO Points still not back!!!!

[Anonymous]

Has anyone experienced this. I'll explain as best as I can. I filed bankruptcy 4-08, was discharged 8-08, rebuilt my scores from high 400'ish to low 500'ish, had gotten my scores up to 659 (Transunion Fico) and 662 (Equifax Fico), then I nearly maxed out my cards. I have 8 cc's now (4 major, 4 store), and only 1 with a balance. My scores had hit a low of 605-607. Now, after paying all cards down to $0 except 1, I only got back 41 points. I used the simulator, and it projected an increase of 40-80 points. Well if course I got back the least I could. Now I'm sitting @ 647. I have 6 installment loans, which were already on my reports, so nothing has changed. No lates since my filing. Is this normal, or should I have kept a balance on more than 1 card. I'm happy to have some of my points back, but I expected more. I understand it may also be that I have too many new accounts, but I just want my points back. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks

[llecs]

What was your overall util before you paid down your cards?

When did you open up your new accounts?

[AndySoCal]

Looks like the simulator was accurate in its projection. The score increase came in at the low end of the range.  Again the simulator is an estimate and some times the simulator will indicate a time frame for the increase if you have to wait for that time frame.  One question if you compare the score reasons on a credit report from before you paid off your credit cards to the one you pulled after that are the score reasons different? By different I mean in order ( a score reason listed first on the old report is now the third one on the new report)  if they are same or there any new score reason(s).

[Anonymous]

DH and I both have experienced the same.  We'll have two cards report and lose points, then get back to one card reporting (with the same previous utilization) and not gain all the points back.  Or we'll run a card up from 0 into the 20-25% utilization and let it report, lose points, and not gain them back when we're back down to zero on that card with the other cards maintaining the same previous utilization.  For us, it seems a bit more sophisticated than the simple add or subtract equation that we were expecting. ;(.

I think txjohn posted that he keeps his reports fluid by sometimes reporting balances on different numbers of cards or reporting different utilizations to avoid stirring up any alarms - I'm not sure how successful he was with that - but if I remember right, he maintains some pretty high FICO scores.  FWIW.