What is Credit Utilization and how it affects your credit score?

Credit utilization is an important factor that affects your credit score. In fact, it accounts for about 30% of your FICO score. Credit utilization refers to the amount of credit you use compared to your total credit limit. For example, if you have a credit card with a limit of $5,000 and you have a balance of $1,000, your credit utilization rate is 20%.

Why Does Credit Utilization Matter?

Lenders and creditors use credit utilization as an indicator of your creditworthiness. They want to see that you can manage credit responsibly and that you’re not maxing out your credit cards or other credit accounts. A high credit utilization rate can signal that you may be a risky borrower, which could make it harder to get approved for credit in the future.

What is a Good Credit Utilization Rate?

Generally, it’s recommended that you keep your credit utilization rate below 30%. However, the lower the better. For example, if you have a credit limit of $10,000, you should aim to keep your balance below $3,000. This shows lenders that you’re responsible with credit and can manage your finances well.

How to Improve Your Credit Utilization

If you have a high credit utilization rate, there are a few things you can do to improve it:

  1. Pay down your balances: The most effective way to lower your credit utilization rate is to pay down your balances. This will not only improve your credit utilization rate, but it will also reduce the amount of interest you’re paying.
  2. Increase your credit limit: If you’re not able to pay down your balances, you may want to consider asking your creditor for a credit limit increase. This will increase your available credit, which can lower your credit utilization rate.
  3. Use credit sparingly: Try to avoid using credit for unnecessary purchases. Only use credit when you need to and when you know you can pay it back in full.
  4. Monitor your credit utilization: Keeping an eye on your credit utilization rate can help you catch any potential problems early on. You can use a credit monitoring service to track your credit score and utilization rate.

In conclusion, credit utilization is an important factor that affects your credit score. Keeping your credit utilization rate low is a key part of maintaining a healthy credit score. By following the tips above, you can improve your credit utilization rate and improve your creditworthiness over time.

The information provided in this blog post is meant for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Kikoff Inc. is a financial technology company and not a bank. The Kikoff Secured Credit Card is issued by Coastal Community Bank, Member FDIC. Terms and conditions apply & individual results may vary. Make consistent on-time payments to maximize credit building potential.  Credit factors outside Kikoff, like other account balances or delinquencies, can have an impact on credit building progress.  Subject to approval via identity verifications and subject to terms and conditions. Kikoff Credit Account reported line of credit intended exclusively for credit building purposes & can be used to finance the purchase of monthly Credit Service plans and/or digital educational material via the Kikoff Store. For more information, visit our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy. We report to the major credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Features, tradelines, bureau reporting, & pricing may vary depending on plan purchased. This post may contain marketing messages and advertisements in compliance with the CAN-SPAM Act. Please refer to our Secured Card and Credit Account Terms for detailed product disclaimers.

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