Quick question about utilization

[bodybuilder510]

Does ficos score overall utilization of credit cards or does ficos score off each credit card? For example, someone has 5 cards, one with 80% of credit limit being used and the others with 0 balance. Do lenders freak out about that one card or do they look at overall use of all 5?

[llecs]

FICO looks at both individual and overall. YMMV on the lender, but IME I had a denial letter specifically reference "high balances" when only one CC had a balance. Maybe they also looked at DTI, I dunno.

[rckstrscott]

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@bodybuilder510 wrote:
Does ficos score overall utilization of credit cards or does ficos score off each credit card? For example, someone has 5 cards, one with 80% of credit limit being used and the others with 0 balance. Do lenders freak out about that one card or do they look at overall use of all 5?

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As previously mentioned, they look at both... I have been keeping my util around 6%... it its 6 spread out over my 5 cards, its lower FICO for me than if I keep the 6 perecnt on my highest limit card, and the rest at 0.

-scott