Maxed one card - Utilization memory

[GatorGuy]

As an experiment for myself I let one card report as maxed. Technically it reported at 94%. My EX 8 score dropped 32 points. One month later, I paid off the card in full. I gained 36 points back showing that there is no utilization memory.

For reference I have a thick/mature/clean file. Attached pics for reference.

[pizzadude]

Thanks for sharing these data points !   How much did the maxed card impact your overall revolving utilization?  Also how many cards with balances were reporting ? 

[FireMedic1]

Wow. Maxed out does do some damage as we know. Thanks brother for sharing.

[D10001]

I've gotten declined for credit line increases for lack of utilization.  Does maxing out that one line and paying it in full make that line ripe for an increase?

[GatorGuy]

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@pizzadude wrote:

Thanks for sharing these data points !   How much did the maxed card impact your overall revolving utilization?  Also how many cards with balances were reporting ? 

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@pizzadude My overall utilization was 14% with the card. I had 7 cards reporting a balance.

[Anonymalous]

Can confirm. I recently let one card go from 3% to >50% (overall went from 1% to 9%), and lost 16 points (EX8). And then I gained 15 points, when I paid it off to 2% (<1% overall). Young/thin/clean file.

[babygirl1256]

@GatorGuy Yep, the utilization makes a difference as I discovered that several years back . . . thanks for posting!!!

[GatorGuy]

As a comparison here is my TU VS3 score that just reported. I lost 88 points when the card first reported. Now gained 96 points back. Also shows how much more sensitive VS is to utilization than Fico8s.

[GatorGuy]

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@D10001 wrote:

I've gotten declined for credit line increases for lack of utilization.  Does maxing out that one line and paying it in full make that line ripe for an increase?

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@D10001 This card was a Chase card which I have gotten auto CLIs with them in the past for high utilization, although not this high. Usually they want to see atleast 2 to 3 months of heavy utilization. Personally I would not max out a credit card to try and get a CLI since many lenders can be very sensitive to it.

[Anonymalous]

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@GatorGuy wrote:

As a comparison here is my TU VS3 score that just reported. I lost 88 points when the card first reported. Now gained 96 points back. Also shows how much more sensitive VS is to utilization than Fico8s.

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Can confirm as well. The effect on my jump to >50% utilization on a single card (9% overall) and back was TU VS3 -39/+40, EQ VS3 -37/+33. So more than double the -16/+15 of EX FICO 8.

It's harder to assess FICO 9s, because the ones I have access to only update 1/month and don't come with a credit report (i.e. they weren't generated at the precise time utilization was updated, and I can't double check the utilization they used to generate the score), but they seem to be comparable to FICO 8: EQ FICO 9 was -2/+14, while EX FICO 9 Bankcard was -17/+15. Can't explain the -2.