OUCH, failed to rotate, Dinged 8 points on EQ

[Anonymous]

Amazon store card (sync bank) is one of the cards I PIFbefore statement cut date. In fact, I usually pay it as soon as the transactions post, since the credit limit is not very high and I want to keep the card clear in case there's something I want.

Last month I wasn't paying attention and missed the cut date, so a $90 charge reported. Overal utilization across everything was still less than 2%, but I got dinged 8 points because "An inactive card has recently become active".

Ouch.

8 points for a $90 charge when I have over $45K in credit available and less than 2% utilization.

I guess I better get my butt over to Lowe's, buy something, and let that one report as well so I can suffer the ding now and recover.

Been using Cap One as well and paying in full before cut date, but I let that report about 3 mos ago.

How frequently does everyone rotate out to let each card report?

I would assume this would cause problems with more than 1 reporting due to different cut dates.

[NRB525]

20 or so (soon to be 21 or so) cards report balances. Sometimes there is one more not reporting, but that's only one month, then back to business as usual. Balances range from single digits and under $50 when just keeping cards reporting, to 3 cards between $4,100 - $4,600 each.

Out of 22? 23? Soon will be 24 non-closed cards I think when Diners reports.

I probably spend the same amount of time strategizing which of my PIF cards to use next, to properly get them all to report something, anything, where other folks spend that time paying their cards to zero prior to statement cut

Most recent scores: EQ 749, TU 778, EX 764.

[Thomas_Thumb]

NRB525, that's a lot of work - but if you have a system them maybe it becomes routine.

I like to report balances on all cards periodically - will do so this month in honor of the Holiday season. However, I generally fluctuate between 50% and 83% of cards reporting balances. Have not seen any negative associated with no balance reporting on a given card for 2 or 3 months and then reporting a balance again.

Score aside, I learned a lesson a few years back when AA was taken on a card due to non use - significant credit line reduction. Max I go now without use is 4 months.