Your score falls within the range of scores, from 300 to 579, considered Very Poor. A 500 FICO® Score is significantly below the average credit score.
Generally speaking, experts suggest keeping your credit utilization below 30 percent for the best results, which would mean having balances of $3,000 or below for every $10,000 in available credit you have.
Good credit: If you have good credit, you'll have a better chance at being approved for a higher credit limit than someone with fair or poor credit. But even with good credit, the average credit limit you can expect to get with a first credit card is generally between $500 and $1,000.
THUMBS UP = A $1,000 credit limit means you're using 30% THUMBS DOWN = A $500 credit limit means you're using 60% It's always a good idea to keep your credit card balance as low as possible in relation to your credit limit.
A good guideline is the 30% rule: Use no more than 30% of your credit limit to keep your debt-to-credit ratio strong. Staying under 10% is even better. In a real-life budget, the 30% rule works like this: If you have a card with a $1,000 credit limit, it's best not to have more than a $300 balance at any time.
It's commonly said that you should aim to use less than 30% of your available credit, and that's a good rule to follow.
The average credit card limit for a 25-year-old is around $3,000. To get to that number, it's important to know that the average credit score in that age bracket is 650, which is fair credit.
Because many consumers apply for store cards as their first credit card, your first credit limit is generally going to be on the low end. Though Equifax notes these retail cards averaging between $2,000 to $2,500, credit limits can be much less than that — in some cases below $1,000.
A varied credit mix
Ten percent of your score is calculated based on the types of credit you use. Consider accepting a line of credit from your bank if you only have a credit card. Having a line of credit can benefit you, and you don't even have to use it, meaning it can boost your score effectively for free.
To keep your scores healthy, a rule of thumb is to use no more than 30% of your credit card's limit at all times. On a card with a $200 limit, for example, that would mean keeping your balance below $60. The less of your limit you use, the better.
It's Best to Pay Your Credit Card Balance in Full Each Month
Leaving a balance will not help your credit scores—it will just cost you money in the form of interest. Carrying a high balance on your credit cards has a negative impact on scores because it increases your credit utilization ratio.
In most cases, your transaction will simply be declined—but if you're close enough to your credit limit that you have to worry about your next purchase or interest charge pushing you over the top, it's time to think about paying off your credit card debt.
Average Recovery Time
The good news is that when your score is low, each positive change you make is likely to have a significant impact. For instance, going from a poor credit score of around 500 to a fair credit score (in the 580-669 range) takes around 12 to 18 months of responsible credit use.
It will take about six months of credit activity to establish enough history for a FICO credit score, which is used in 90% of lending decisions. 1 FICO credit scores range from 300 to 850, and a score of over 700 is considered a good credit score. Scores over 800 are considered excellent.
Minimum credit limit is the minimum amount that the bank can approve you for, depending on some factors (e.g. credit score, ability to pay, etc.). It isn't the required amount of debt needed.
A high-limit credit card typically comes with a credit line between $5,000 to $10,000 (and some even go beyond $10,000). You're more likely to have a higher credit limit if you have good or excellent credit.