Using more than 30% of your available credit on your cards can hurt your credit score. The lower you can get your balance relative to your limit, the better for your score. (It's best to pay it off every month if you can.)
A general rule of thumb is to keep your credit utilization ratio below 30%. And if you really want to be an overachiever, aim for 10%.
My credit utilisation is over 70%. Is that bad for my credit score? Yes, high credit utilisation is bad for your credit score. In general, it is advised to keep the utilisation under 30% of the overall credit limit.
So, for a healthy credit score, try to use no more than 25% of your credit limit each month. You can do this by spending less on your card, or getting a higher limit.
It's best to keep your utilisation below 30%. This shows lenders that you're managing your credit well and are far from overspending. If you spend over 50%, it could negatively impact your credit score. And if you use over 75% of your limit, it's quite likely this will have a negative impact.
Helps keep Credit UtiliSation Ratio Low: If you have one single card and use 90% of the credit limit, it will naturally bring down the credit utilization score. However, if you have more than one card and use just 50% of the credit limit, it will help maintain a good utilization ratio that is ideal.
What is the highest credit score possible? To start off: No, it's not possible to have a 900 credit score in the United States. In some countries that use other models, like Canada, people could have a score of 900. The current scoring models in the U.S. have a maximum of 850.
While there's no specific point when your utilization rate goes from good to bad, 30% is the point at which it starts to have a more pronounced negative effect on your credit score. As the data above illustrates, those with the highest scores tend to have credit utilization in the low single digits.
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.
If you have a zero balance on credit accounts, you show you have paid back your borrowed money. A zero balance won't harm or help your credit. To find out how we got here, we have to understand what credit is and the history of credit agencies.
The rule of thumb for credit cards is to utilize no more than 30% of the limit. 30% of a $300 limit is $90, only use this amount or less if you don't want it to adversely affect your credit score.
Lenders usually like to see a credit utilization rate below 30 percent. A rate higher than 30 percent may negatively affect your credit scores.
In general, it's considered a good rule of thumb to keep your utilization ratio below 30%, with the ideal rate being below 10%. By going over 50%, I set off that little "Danger, Danger!" robot from, well, every sci-fi movie ever. The result? My credit score dropped a whopping 25 points.
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. Many lenders choose not to do business with borrowers whose scores fall in the Very Poor range, on grounds they have unfavorable credit.
It's a good idea to pay off your credit card balance in full whenever you're able. Carrying a monthly credit card balance can cost you in interest and increase your credit utilization rate, which is one factor used to calculate your credit scores.
It can reflect badly on your score if you consistently (more than three months) have a utilization rate of zero percent because you've opened cards and aren't using them at all. That indicates to credit reporting agencies that you're not using your credit limits at all rather than using them responsibly.
Aiming for a 100% capacity utilization rate might sound like the best way to maximize the ROI on your investment in staff. But it actually comes at a cost that can reduce your profitability – when staff start quitting and clients begin complaining. Because no person can operate at 100% capacity, 100% of the time.
The average FICO credit score in the US is 717, according to the latest FICO data. The average VantageScore is 701 as of January 2024.
Even better, just over 1 in 5 people (21.2%) have an exceptional FICO credit score of 800 or above, all but guaranteeing access to the best products and interest rates.
A FICO® Score of 650 places you within a population of consumers whose credit may be seen as Fair. Your 650 FICO® Score is lower than the average U.S. credit score. Statistically speaking, 28% of consumers with credit scores in the Fair range are likely to become seriously delinquent in the future.
Your score falls within the range of scores, from 740 to 799, that is considered Very Good. A 777 FICO® Score is above the average credit score. Consumers in this range may qualify for better interest rates from lenders. 25% of all consumers have FICO® Scores in the Very Good range.
The Impact on Your Credit Score
So, while there is no absolute number that is considered too many, it's best to only apply for and carry the cards you need and can justify using based on your credit score, ability to pay balances and rewards aspirations.
Even if your card issuer allows it, you should avoid going over your credit limit. Maxing out your credit card could hurt your credit score, leave you with over-the-limit fees, and even put your credit card account at risk.
While you can technically use 100% of your Credit Card limit, it's not advisable. Doing so can adversely influence your credit score because of a high credit utilisation ratio.