Doing so will keep your total outstanding credit available high and your
credit usage ratio low.
It should also be noted that you will be able to reduce the
debt usage ratio which is taken into consideration by credit rating agencies by using personal loans.
By definition, the
credit usage ratio is a ratio of a consumer's debt versus their credit limit.
Here's what we do know: FICO does say that consumers with the highest credit scores, on average, maintain debt
usage ratios below 10 %.
Most people can get away with a debt
usage ratio of 20 % to 25 % before it really starts to affect their scores, provided other credit score factors (like payment history, for example) are strong.
Keep in mind that with a secured card you will probably have a lower credit limit, so it it's easy to wind up with a higher
debt usage ratio.
To find your credit
usage ratio, you simply divide your balances by your credit limits.
One main factor of the FICO score model is known as the «credit
usage ratio `.
A consumer's credit
usage ratio has a monumental impact on their overall FICO score.
Your usage ratio is now 50 percent, enough to lower your score.
The strategy: Lenders look at your «
usage ratio» — how much debt you owe on your credit cards compared with the total amount you could borrow.
It's very important, because your credit score is dependent on this debt
usage ratio.
So to avoid penalties due to high debt
usage ratio you just need to keep the balance of each card below 20 % of credit limit.
The chart is then rounded out by your credit
usage ratio (30 %), length of history (15 %), mix of credit (10 %), and credit inquiries and new credit (10 %).
Yet, if your balances didn't change
your usage ratio is higher, and that's a risk factor for credit scores.
To calculate your debt
usage ratio, grab your calculator and divide the balance by the credit limit, then move the decimal two places to the right.
While all debt can affect your credit scores, installment loans — loans for a fixed amount — aren't affected by the debt
usage ratio the way credit cards are.
That means that even if you're not using a card, the unused credit limit is helping to keep
that usage ratio lower.