04/25/2026
Did you know your credit cards only report your balances once a month?
On the day the balance is reported, this is how your credit utilization is rated:
Balance/Limit= % Utilization
0-9% Excellent (A)
10-29% Good (B)
30-49% Fair (C)
50-74% Poor (D)
Over 74% Very Poor (F)
You could be paying your cards on time every month religiously and have a VERY POOR rating
For credit card use 😲
This credit factor makes up 30% or more of your credit score - and can cost you over 100 points on your credit score!
Having high credit card utilization is the #1 reason our clients have low credit scores when they first come to us
NOT collections
NOT old bad accounts
NOT charge offs
NOT hospital bills
Just high balances on their cards!
Good news is once card balances are paid bellow 29% of their limit and scores update, most people's scores increase enough to qualify for an FHA loan.
Once paid down, scores will update within 30 days and most people can now get a mortgage.
We have multiple tips to lower credit card utilization if you are short on funds to pay them all the way down.