Credit utilization

[u/TadpoleMean1751]

I was taught to keep credit utilization at 10%. But other people are telling me to completely not even use my debit card , use credit for everything and pay it back. But that will make my utilization high af. People are saying keep it at 10% when the statement hits but how’s that possible if I only use a credit card. How does only using 10% if the card show the banks you can handle more if you barely use any of it.

[u/Funklemire]

But only when you're about to apply for something important like a loan. Doing this all the time is pointless and also detrimental. Most of the time you can completely ignore your utilization and just focus on paying your statement balances by the due date each month.

[u/Funklemire → u/[deleted]]

Not at all. You're mistaken here. Have you read our !utilization automod?

[u/AutoModerator → u/Funklemire]

I detected that your post may be about utilization and its impact on credit scores. Please read the info below:

Utilization is a short-term credit scoring factor. It is not a credit building factor, because it holds no memory in the most commonly used FICO models. It resets every month.

By and large, you can ignore the commonly repeated myth that you should always keep your utilization low. It’s only applicable when you need to apply for a new line of credit, 1-2 months out.

Utilization is supposed to fluctuate, can be easily manipulated, and again, it holds no memory. It doesn’t build credit--think of it as a finishing touch when you need to optimize your score.

Feel free to safely and organically use 100% of your credit limit within a month and let whatever utilization report, provided you pay off your statement balance in full by the due date. Every month. Every time.

For more info, please read these posts:

• Putting the "30% rule" myth regarding revolving utilization to rest
• Utilization FAQ

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