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My FICO 8 dropped by 9 points overnight

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Patient957
Established Contributor

Re: My FICO 8 dropped by 9 points overnight


@RaeRae1226 wrote:

@Patient957 With the exception of my Capital One card with $11 it's only my AU card that is reporting a balance. 

I'm confused though, my AU card definitely contributes towards my utilization and has always been listed when I check what cards are reporting balances. 

if it's counted towards the my utilization why wouldn't it count towards not having a 0% balance?


The all zero penalty applies separately to your personal accounts vs AU accounts.

 

I think you're saying all your non-AU accounts are posting zero balanes.  If so, this is your reason.  Let a small balance report on one of your non-AU cards and you should get your points back.

Message 11 of 16
RaeRae1226
New Contributor

Re: My FICO 8 dropped by 9 points overnight

@NoHardLimits I see. This must be the reason. I guess I made a bad strategic decision when deciding which account not to fully pay off (I'm paying my moms card but it's mostly her debt). 

I guess I'll make sure one of my own cards reports this month.

Message 12 of 16
RaeRae1226
New Contributor

Re: My FICO 8 dropped by 9 points overnight

@Patient957 

 

Pretty much. My Capital One is posting $11 but that's it. Thank you for the insight. 

Message 13 of 16
NoHardLimits
Valued Contributor

Re: My FICO 8 dropped by 9 points overnight


@RaeRae1226 wrote:

@NoHardLimits I see. This must be the reason. I guess I made a bad strategic decision when deciding which account not to fully pay off (I'm paying my moms card but it's mostly her debt). 

I guess I'll make sure one of my own cards reports this month.


Make sure one primary account AND one AU account posts each month to avoid both penalties.

September 2025 Scorecard: Clean, Thick, Mature, New Revolver
FICO8:
FICO9:
VantageScore3:
Inquiries (n/12, n/24):
AAoA: 11 yrs | AoORA: 38 yrs | AoYRA: less than 1 yr | New Accounts: 1/6, 2/12, 3/24 | Util: 1% | DTI: 1%
Message 14 of 16
JoeRockhead
Community Leader
Super Contributor

Re: My FICO 8 dropped by 9 points overnight

@RaeRae1226 If the $11 balance on your Cap One is less than .5% that could be a factor combined with the other accounts being zeroed out. If it was a true all zero penalty, the score hit is generally more significant (20+ points). Even if the Capital One balance represents a greater percentage than .5%, what's more likely is Experian gave a  penalty being all your other primary cards (AU not included) combined being zeroed out led to a slight penalty for inactivity. I know it sounds silly but nothing else in the information you provided points to anything else.

 

If you're going to leave a small balance on 1, or 2 cards, at least try to make them at, or near the 1% mark to avoid anything less getting rounded down for scoring purposes. The good news is this just seems to be a utilization thing. If you allow a slightly higher balance report for the next billing cycle, you should see your points come back.  

Message 15 of 16
RaeRae1226
New Contributor

Re: My FICO 8 dropped by 9 points overnight

@JoeRockhead @NoHardLimits 

 

Thank you both for your insight.  I'll make sure to have something reported on my own cards going forward. I really appreciate your help. 

Message 16 of 16
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