Was this across all 3 bureau scores, or just one in particular? I know that when I paid off 1 CC last month, I got a good 12-14 pt boost across EQ and EX, TU however did report it, but only stated XXX amount of dollars decreased the total of all tradelines, with a measly 4 pt boost.
Ideally around the forums, you should have all CCs show a zero balance each month, with only 1 CC reporting a balance of less than 9% of it's CL. It's possible and I've seen some report where an account was viewed "stagnant" with zero balances, have a small charge like yours, cause a decrease for a month's reporting due to increase balance in trade lines. But to me that should bounce back after the 2nd month.
Other factors to possibly consider
No new inquiries on your reports
Opening a new CC (short possible decrease until the account ages) if will affect the AAoA if your credit overall is fairly new within last couple of years.
So many factors.... I would retain your student loan as it appears to be your only installment, and that is needed to have a good credit mix (going on revolving credit alone can hurt). It may help paying it down, as the utilization with extra being applied will decrease the utilization of the starting balance and current balance.
Try as the student loan that was once in default ages, to get a GW letter to remove the reported deliquencies.
How often do you check your reports for accurancy? are you taking advantage of the free 3 reports yearly?
