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Expertise from a former Credit Card executive:
Your goal is to keep utilization low. One way to make sure that happens is to have a number of credit cards open. That increases your total limit available, making it easier to keep your utilization low.
4. Opening a credit card will hurt my credit score
Oh, don’t be so dramatic!
Opening a credit card will only drop your credit score by a handful points, usually about five points. If you have a score resting comfortable in the 700s, this is no big deal.
If you’re in the 500s – 650 range, then you should focus on improving your score, and you likely won’t be eligible for many of the better credit cards. Instead, you may need to focus on a secured card first in order to improve your score.
One exception to the rule: if you’re applying for a mortgage or another loan, you should hold off any applying for any forms of credit or doing anything that may cause a dip in your score. The higher your credit score when applying for a loan, the lower your interest rate will likely be.
Remember: your credit score isn’t a trophy!
Expertise from a former Credit Card executive:
If you open a new credit card and max it out, it will hurt your score and your financial health. Applications for credit take, on average 10 points off your score. But, so long as you behave responsibly, the impact of that reduction wears off quickly. And, if you apply for credit to get a lower interest rate, helping you pay off your debt faster, then your score will improve even more quickly.
5. Don’t accept a credit limit increase
Get an offer to increase your credit limit? Yes, your lender is trying to lure you into a trap. But get this – you can use their trickery to your advantage.
To understand why, let’s recap how your FICO credit score works:
Payment history (35%)
Amounts owed (30%)
Length of credit history (15%)
New credit (10%)
Types of credit used (10%)
“Amounts owed”, which accounts for 30% of your score, is also referred to as utilization: the amount of your credit limit you use. The more debt you have, the lower your score. The ideal utilization is 30% or less of your overall credit limit.
For example, if you only have one credit card with a $2000 credit limit and spend $800 a month on your card, that’s a 40% utilization ratio.
Now, let’s say your bank offers you a $1000 increase on your credit limit. If you keep your spending the same at $800, but have a limit of $3000, your utilization will decrease to about 27%. This small change will help move your credit score up.
Another way to increase your overall credit limit is to simply apply for another card.
Of course, if you tend to overspend and know that you’ll just max out a card with a higher credit limit then stay away from an increase or a second card!
Expertise from a former Credit Card executive:
So long as you keep your utilization low, credit limit increases should not hurt you. If you call and ask for an increase, they may run a credit bureau and put a hard inquiry on your report. That could result in a 10 points drop. But, when a bank offers you an automatic credit limit increase, you should not have any negative side effects.
Your goal is to keep utilization low. One way to make sure that happens is to have a number of credit cards open. That increases your total limit available, making it easier to keep your utilization low.
4. Opening a credit card will hurt my credit score
Oh, don’t be so dramatic!
Opening a credit card will only drop your credit score by a handful points, usually about five points. If you have a score resting comfortable in the 700s, this is no big deal.
If you’re in the 500s – 650 range, then you should focus on improving your score, and you likely won’t be eligible for many of the better credit cards. Instead, you may need to focus on a secured card first in order to improve your score.
One exception to the rule: if you’re applying for a mortgage or another loan, you should hold off any applying for any forms of credit or doing anything that may cause a dip in your score. The higher your credit score when applying for a loan, the lower your interest rate will likely be.
Remember: your credit score isn’t a trophy!
Expertise from a former Credit Card executive:
If you open a new credit card and max it out, it will hurt your score and your financial health. Applications for credit take, on average 10 points off your score. But, so long as you behave responsibly, the impact of that reduction wears off quickly. And, if you apply for credit to get a lower interest rate, helping you pay off your debt faster, then your score will improve even more quickly.
5. Don’t accept a credit limit increase
Get an offer to increase your credit limit? Yes, your lender is trying to lure you into a trap. But get this – you can use their trickery to your advantage.
To understand why, let’s recap how your FICO credit score works:
Payment history (35%)
Amounts owed (30%)
Length of credit history (15%)
New credit (10%)
Types of credit used (10%)
“Amounts owed”, which accounts for 30% of your score, is also referred to as utilization: the amount of your credit limit you use. The more debt you have, the lower your score. The ideal utilization is 30% or less of your overall credit limit.
For example, if you only have one credit card with a $2000 credit limit and spend $800 a month on your card, that’s a 40% utilization ratio.
Now, let’s say your bank offers you a $1000 increase on your credit limit. If you keep your spending the same at $800, but have a limit of $3000, your utilization will decrease to about 27%. This small change will help move your credit score up.
Another way to increase your overall credit limit is to simply apply for another card.
Of course, if you tend to overspend and know that you’ll just max out a card with a higher credit limit then stay away from an increase or a second card!
Expertise from a former Credit Card executive:
So long as you keep your utilization low, credit limit increases should not hurt you. If you call and ask for an increase, they may run a credit bureau and put a hard inquiry on your report. That could result in a 10 points drop. But, when a bank offers you an automatic credit limit increase, you should not have any negative side effects.
