It's possible that you could see your credit scores drop after fulfilling your payment obligations on a loan or credit card debt. Paying off debt might lower your credit scores if removing the debt affects certain factors like your credit mix, the length of your credit history or your credit utilization ratio.
Why credit scores can drop after paying off a loan. Credit scores are calculated using a specific formula and indicate how likely you are to pay back a loan on time. But while paying off debt is a good thing, it may lower your credit score if it changes your credit mix, credit utilization or average account age.
Yes, paying off a personal loan early could temporarily have a negative impact on your credit scores. But any dip in your credit scores will likely be temporary and minor. And it might be worth balancing that risk against the possible benefits of paying off your personal loan early.
Lenders will run a hard credit pull whenever you apply for a loan. This will temporarily drop your score by as much as 10 points. However, your score should go up again in the following months after you start making payments.
The most likely possible reasons for your credit score dropping after paying off debt are a decrease in the average age of your accounts, a change in the types of credit you have or an increase in your credit utilization.
You paid off a loan
Paying off something like your car loan can actually cause your credit score to fall because it means having one less credit account in your name. Having a mix of credit makes up 10% of your FICO credit score because it's important to show that you can manage different types of debt.
It can take weeks or even days for you to notice a change in your credit score. If you have recently paid off a debt, wait for at least 30 to 45 days to see your credit score go up. Will it be beneficial for my credit score if I pay off a debt? Your payment history will not be removed after you pay off a debt.
As you make payments on a personal loan you may see your credit score begin to improve. A better score can make you eligible for other types of credit. While it may be tempting to borrow even more, you could be putting your score in danger.
"In general, if you have good credit, personal loans have lower interest rates than most credit cards," says Amy Maliga, financial educator at Take Charge America, a nonprofit financial counseling agency. Also, you can often get a personal loan in a much larger amount than the limit you can expect on a credit card.
Personal loans generally aren't taxable because the money you receive isn't income. Unlike wages or investment earnings, which you earn and keep, you need to repay what you borrow. As a result: You don't report the money you borrow.
Paying off the loan early can put you in a situation where you must pay a prepayment penalty, potentially undoing any money you'd save on interest, and it can also impact your credit history.
Key takeaways. Paying off your loan early can save you hundreds — if not thousands — of dollars worth of interest over the life of the loan. Some lenders may charge a prepayment penalty of up to 2% of the loan's outstanding balance if you decide to pay off your loan ahead of schedule.
The biggest advantage of speeding up loan payoff is that it can save you money. "In many cases, paying off a personal loan early will save the borrower money in interest," says Thomas Nitzsche, senior director of media and brand at Money Management International, a nonprofit credit counseling agency.
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.
To reach an 800 credit score, you'll want to demonstrate on-time bill payments, have a healthy mix of credit (meaning accounts other than just credit cards), use a small percentage of your available credit, and limit new credit inquiries.
The Bottom Line. Remember that while both personal loans and credit cards can pay for your expenses, they are not the same. Personal loans have relatively lower interest rates than credit cards, but they must be repaid over a set period of time.
According to Rachel Sanborn Lawrence, advisory services director and certified financial planner at Ellevest, you should feel OK about taking on purposeful debt that's below 10% APR, and even better if it's below 5% APR.
While it can be beneficial to leverage low-interest personal loans strategically, high-interest loans are considered bad debt. Depending on your credit score, interest rates can reach high double digits, making them a poor financing choice — especially when used on items that don't increase in value.
Paying off a personal loan early can save you money on interest, but you have to be careful when it comes to prepayment penalties. It's also possible that paying off debt ahead of schedule could temporarily ding your credit score, so time an early payoff carefully if you're looking to obtain credit in the near future.
Paying off debt might lower your credit scores if removing the debt affects certain factors such as your credit mix, the length of your credit history or your credit utilization ratio.
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. Once you've made it to the good credit zone (670-739), don't expect your credit to continue rising as steadily.