Playing around with the MyFICO simulator, it's saying that almost any credit line increases would
-increase my EQ score by 5 points
-decrease my TU score by 5 points
-have no effect on the EX score
What's that about?
@Anonymous wrote:Is your total utilization in the area of 1-6%? If it is significantly higher, then the simulator is acting the way you'd expect. It is telling you that lowering your utilization will help your score. Another possibility might be a CLI on a card that has an individual utilization of > 29%. Again, what you'd expect.
If your U is already ultralow, however, then the simulator is just (in this respect) a badly written program. CLIs only affect a score to the extent that they might improve a person's utilization. If the simulator is saying that a higher CL in and of itself would improve your score (apart from its effect on U) then the simulator is wrong.
At least there seems to be thunderous unanimity on that point by large numbers of veterans here, and not a single suggestion in any FICO publication that size of CL can in itself affect a score.
I would be delighted to hear that I am mistaken of course. Aside from being pleased to expand my knowledge, I'd also be helped out if it was the case. My average CL is high, so is my total CL, so is my biggest single CL. Any way you slice it that would be great news for me. I am just pretty darn sure it's not so.
I don't really follow your response CGID.
My point is that the simulator is saying the exact same thing would raise 1 score, lower another, and leave the third the same.
@Anonymous wrote:Good question, SJ.
Thanks Music 
@Anonymous wrote:Gosh.... sorry I misread your post. I was sure it said increase, increase, no effect. I guess my eyes were tired.
Then the simulator is being even odder than I thought.
BTW what is your total utilization right now? Is any credit card above 29% individually? Is the CLI being simulated one which would raise the CL of a given card to a really high level, e.g. above 30k? (When a CL gets raised to stratospherically high levels (40k?) I have heard that it can cause FICO to disregard the tradeline altogether in terms of utilization calculations, which could have a weird and unexpected effect on score.)
No utilization was 6%, but would have been even lower with CLI's.
@Anonymous wrote:I have heard some rare anecdotal reports of score improvements as total U went from 8 to 7 to 6%. But if the simulator is being accurate here, this would be the first evidence of score improvement going from 6% to 5%.
What about my other two questions?
(a) Were any of your cards at above 29% individually? Is is possible that the simulator was looking at this when it suggested a score boost?
(b) Was the tool trying to simulate a card going to some ultrahigh credit limit -- e.g. from 25k to 45k? I have heard that when an individual revolving account develops an ultra high U it may cause FICO to drop it altogether from its U-calculation. Losing a card with an ultrahigh limit might cause your U to rise and your score to drop.
My guess is still that the simulator is being F'd up. Even if any of the above is true (you get a score boost for going from 6% to 5%, etc.) I can't think of a single explanation that would cause your score to rise at one CRA and lower at another. (An explanation rooted solely in CLIs, I mean.)
CGID:
I wasn't asking why a credit score might go up if one's credit limits increased. The answer to that is obvious.
I was asking why the simulator would show one score going up, one score going down, and the other not moving.