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FICO Scores and Utilization - Where are the cutoff points and how much do they matter?

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Anonymous
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Re: FICO Scores and Utilization - Where are the cutoff points and how much do they matter?

I personally use 100% of available credit for 0% apr offers. I don't care about credit score in UTL cases because once they are paid back my score rebounds. During the time when I take advantage of a 0% apr offer I will be denied for all credit because score will drop too much. It is only temporary. I think the opposite. I think that it shows that you can handle large amounts of credit, use it and pay it back with out being late. It has never hurt me as far as history. The lenders will always see High Credit limit and maybe date of last high credit. So if you max, they should know when and how high. I max every opportunity at 0% apr.
Message 11 of 26
Anonymous
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Re: FICO Scores and Utilization - Where are the cutoff points and how much do they matter?

Pull  report directly from experian and under each account it wil lshow your balance on each reporting date.  I know they can see your limits or at least they used to be able to.  Haven't seen a bank pulled report in a few years
Message 12 of 26
Anonymous
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Re: FICO Scores and Utilization - Where are the cutoff points and how much do they matter?



ilovepizza wrote:
I personally use 100% of available credit for 0% apr offers. I don't care about credit score in UTL cases because once they are paid back my score rebounds. During the time when I take advantage of a 0% apr offer I will be denied for all credit because score will drop too much. It is only temporary. I think the opposite. I think that it shows that you can handle large amounts of credit, use it and pay it back with out being late. It has never hurt me as far as history. The lenders will always see High Credit limit and maybe date of last high credit. So if you max, they should know when and how high. I max every opportunity at 0% apr.

 
Your method is tried and true if you are not in the market for seeking new credit.  I also near-max but never over 90% on good BTs.  I dont go over 910 simply because I don't want to take the chance that a nother lender may perceive that score drop as financial trouble.

Message 13 of 26
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: FICO Scores and Utilization - Where are the cutoff points and how much do they matter?

I have a card with an initial CL of $10k.  I advanced $6k.  After a few months, the bank automatically increased my CL to $12k.  So my report shows only that my high balance was $6k and my limit is $12k.
 
If I pulled my score today, it would certainly be affected by one card with a util just under 50% (I've been making the monthly payments).  But the score wouldn't show that my util was ever 60%, and I don't see where a manual review performed today would show that my initial CL was $10k.  It would show only that the CL is $12k and my balance has been declining slowly from $6k. Please let me know if I'm missing something.
Message 14 of 26
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: FICO Scores and Utilization - Where are the cutoff points and how much do they matter?



@MidnightVoice wrote:


@Anonymous wrote:
Also EX keeps historical data on bal/payments.


Where?



Yep. You get more data when you pull it directly from the CRA's them selves. Even TC doesn't include all the data from TU. If you pull your EX cr directly, it will list balance history going way back. You can easily subtract one month from another to get payment.
Message 15 of 26
Anonymous
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Re: FICO Scores and Utilization - Where are the cutoff points and how much do they matter?



masdeocho wrote:
I have a card with an initial CL of $10k.  I advanced $6k.  After a few months, the bank automatically increased my CL to $12k.  So my report shows only that my high balance was $6k and my limit is $12k.
 
If I pulled my score today, it would certainly be affected by one card with a util just under 50% (I've been making the monthly payments).  But the score wouldn't show that my util was ever 60%, and I don't see where a manual review performed today would show that my initial CL was $10k.  It would show only that the CL is $12k and my balance has been declining slowly from $6k. Please let me know if I'm missing something.


 
No you're not missing anything and it really doesn't matter a whole lot.  todays new credit is issued simply on an auto-socre generatede approval or decline in most cases.  Period.  If the historical limits are stil lshowing on bank gemrated reposrts, someone could pull your report for a boderline eyeballing and do the math for the month that the balnce was 6K and the limit was 10.  Most won't bother t go that far into detail with it. 
 
Once your limit increased, your utilization decreased and your score should have reflected that.  cant eyeball in 60 seconds or less

Message 16 of 26
MidnightVoice
Super Contributor

Re: FICO Scores and Utilization - Where are the cutoff points and how much do they matter?

You are correct - EX lists monthly balances for the last two years and credit limits and credit limit changes.  From that is is possible to calculate historical utilization patterns.
 
MY CSC/EQ does not seem as informative
The slide from grace is really more like gliding
And I've found the trick is not to stop the sliding
But to find a graceful way of staying slid
Message 17 of 26
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: FICO Scores and Utilization - Where are the cutoff points and how much do they matter?

I maxed and used to get phone calls from the banks to chat, how are you doing, are you happy with the bank, ect... eventually getting around to politely pushing for a F/R. I have a long history taking all I can get at 0%, they don't call anymore. I have been denied credit also because of my "history" on my CR for High Balance to Credit Limit. It scares some lenders to see that I have maxed out in the past.
Message 18 of 26
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: FICO Scores and Utilization - Where are the cutoff points and how much do they matter?

Not sure how long that High Credit stays on your CR. But it is years. I wonder if that is factored in to the score?
Message 19 of 26
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: FICO Scores and Utilization - Where are the cutoff points and how much do they matter?

An additional question: Say you have 10 cards each with 10k limits.  If you stay at 0% on 5 cards but go to 80% on 5, does that hurt your score more or less than going to 40% on all 10 cards?  40% util overall, but differently distributed, and in a way that affects the profitability of the BT game.  (Not all cards are created equal, etc.) 
Message 20 of 26
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