high utilization on a particular card impacts credit score?

[Anonymous]

My score used to be around 750. With 70K total credit line my utilization is about 5%, but with 2 cards at ~90%. It looks like Equifax heavily penalize this type of utilization (now score ~650) while my TransUnion score ranges moving up and down 700.

2 other things that impact my credit score

1) avg history < 2 years because I keep getting new cards

2) high amount of inquries for the same reason (~ 10 on TransUnion, ~15 on Equifax), which is supposed to have low impact

I am trying to figure out the 100 points down is caused by high utilization on individual cards, or the high amount of inquries.

[takeshi74]

Both individual and overall revolving utilzation matter.

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@Anonymous wrote:

but with 2 cards at ~90%

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90% is maxed.  There is not only the hit for high utilization but the hit for maxing as well.

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@Anonymous wrote:

It looks like Equifax heavily penalize

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Unless the score is an EQ score (which isn't used by creditors) then EQ is not penalizing you.  The scoring model is penalizing you.  If you're refrenciing a FICO score it's FICO, not EQ.  A scoring model uses report data but it's the scoring model that does the evaluation.

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@Anonymous wrote:

while my TransUnion score ranges moving up and down 700. 

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Are your TU and EQ reports exactly the same?  Are the scores for both the same scoring model?

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@Anonymous wrote:

1) avg history < 2 years because I keep getting new cards

2) high amount of inquries for the same reason (~ 10 on TransUnion, ~15 on Equifax), which is supposed to have low impact

Inquiries are typically small impact but they can have a larger impact for thin and/or young and/or poor credit profiles.  Impact of any factor or change is not just about the one factor/change itself but one's credit profile as well.

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@Anonymous wrote:

I am trying to figure out the 100 points down is caused by high utilization on individual cards, or the high amount of inquries.

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It's a combination of factors.  You have 2 maxed cards, a low AAoA and inquiries probably have a bigger impact because of your credit profile.  If you had a thicker, more estabished profile you'd see less of an impact to AAoA and from inquiries.  Your recent credit seeking activity also matters and thicker profiles can generally handle new credit better than the profiles I mentioned above.

http://www.myfico.com/crediteducation/whatsinyourscore.aspx

[AndySoCal]

One stop applying for new cards. Seondly instead work on lowering your utilization. The impact of the inquires will go away in time and the utilization will help as well. All those inquires are not helping you when apply either score wise or from an underwriting perspective.