FICO does not swing the pendulum equally.

[DollyLama]

That is why it is important to ask in the forums here, there a quite a few very seasoned (data collectors) not affliated with any CRA that can direct you better than a simulator with a plethora of scenarios that aren't available. 

That $1300 pay off, might have brought down your aggregate utilization threshold for score bumps, ie<88.9%, <68.9%, <48.9%, <28.9% and finally <8.9% that has been proven (without simulator) to generate score bumps, particularly in the <28.9% and down. Aggregate is king over individual utilization. 

[sjt]

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@Anonymous wrote:
I have a couple small loans plus five smaller credit cards ($2,000 or less credit limit) and all five cards had moderate to high balances and a score close to 700. Several months ago I had to charge a large car repair to one card of $1200 and my score dropped 22 points with that one transaction. Must have thrown my ratio WAY off. Couple months later I did score simulator and it said if I paid off $1300 in credit card balances my score could increase approx 20. I'm prepping too but a new vehicle for the first time in 8 years so I want it back up! I made regular minimum pymt on four and paid one off with a $1300 balance and not one point showed up. I subsequently made monthly pymts on the other four remaining since, which have also crossed over to credit reporting, and still it's not moved. This is ridiculous. There is no balance to this farce.

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What CRA did you get your score from and was the simulator you used from that same CRA?

Also, I would give it a month. I think your scores might go up a month after you paid the 1300 debt.

[Anonymous]

Then it should not even be showing up in a simulator. Why would someone/something suggest it specifically then? Only other thing changed is that my other cards each decreased by one minimum monthly payment -$25 each or so. If that was enough to drop it out of the aggregate %, again, scam. They sure found a way to drop it by 20 before that with one single transaction so how do I go back up with one transaction? Pay off a $1,000 card in full? Close one with a zero balance? Pay $100 off each of my four cards with balances? Guess I can't use a simulator to find out!

[Anonymous]

Simulator right in here along with my subscription. Clicked the Simulator tab while signed in under my myFICO account right under my current score.

Amy change that has prompted a score change has always happened same time - I get the balance change and next to it is a +12 or -20 to show it modified my score up or down. I've never seen my score change independently of a balance change on its own line or day. On myFICO at least.

[sjt]

So do you have the Ultimate 3B (29.95) or Ultimate 3B+ (39.95)?

[DollyLama]

I'm thinking quarterly subscription, not monthly subscription. If so, the simulator -which several of us have stated will not give an accurate account, is going off your last pulled report. It would be of great help to us to guide you if you can list each and every account like this,

1. CC1- Credit Limit $1000, balance $957 (opened June 2018)

2. CC2-  Credit Limit, $500, balance $491 (opened Dec 2017)

3. CC2- Credit Limit, $1500, balance $0 (opened November 2016)

etc. 

Age of Youngest Account, how many inquiries in last 12 months

Loans , High and Current Balance

Any charge offs, collections, open or paid, and any late payments 30, 60, 90 days or more

[Anonymous]

Hi Dolly.  You may have better luck than I have, but a number of us have explained that we are happy to give the OP help in improving his score.  All the OP needs to do is let us know, we've said, and we'll be glad to to do that; in which case he'll need to give us a detailed list of everything on his report.

Instead, he keeps fixed on the thing he wants to talk about, which is not practical help on score improvement, but anger against the Man, conspiracy theories about scams, and so on.

This can happen a lot in conversations.  Somebody is just angry and wants a place to vent, which is fine.  The person is not trying to get help in "fixing" something, he's just mad and needs to be heard; and when people come along insisting on being a Fixer rather than a Listener it just leads to both sides talking at cross purposes.

Naturally if you can succeed in getting the OP to give up the rage and just work with us on simple strategies for score improvement, that will be great.  But I am doubtful he's up for that right now.

[Anonymous]

Dolly and SJT, thank you for your brainstorming, and while I have jotted down my cards and balances suggested by Dolly, I'm done now. Forum failed.  Btw, I'm all FEMALE, and anger and numbers can co exist. Again, Dolly and SJT, we were getting somewhere and I thank you. Out. Cancelling.  <mod edit>

<Mod note:  Please member to be Friendly, Supportive, and Respectful in your posts.  --UB>

[Anonymous]

The OP definitely isn't here for advice. In the first 2 replies to this thread, CGID and I both informed the OP that simulators are unreliable and/or should be ignored. A page later, the OP posted 2-3 more times arguing about what a simulator told her. Either she doesn't really want advice or she's simply not reading the replies in here. That being said, I would think continuing to move forward with this thread isn't in the best interest of anyone.

[gdale6]

Thread has run its course and is now closed to further comments.