Most people are intimidated by their creditors. Well, maybe not most. It’s mainly the ones who owe more than they can afford to pay. That is NOT where you want to be. Let’s get on to my point for the day.
I previously mentioned that high credit balances relative to spending limits contribute to lower credit scores. For the sake of clarity, let me explain. If a credit card has your name on it with a $1000 spending limit and you now owe $800, the balance is high. Your balance to limit ratio is 80%. The ideal ratio is about 30%, but you definitely want to be below 50%. Creditors like to see some activity to on your accounts to show responsible usage and good financial management.
From time to time, creditors will periodically increase your spending limits when they feel you can manage it. THIS TIP IS ONLY FOR THE STRONG AT HEART!!! If you NEED to use your credit and the dollar amount will put you over 50%, call your creditor. This call will be a request to increase your spending limit. Tell them you want to make a purchase, but want to maintain a ratio of less than 50% on the balance. If the account is seasoned (12 months or older), some card issuers will authorize a limit increase. Phrase your statement like this: “I would like to request a credit limit increase without doing a hard inquiry.” If accepted, that means they will base the decision on your account history and not pull your current credit report. Hard inquiries can deduct 3 to 5 points from your score with each pull. For someone simply paying down debt, an increase in your limit to reduce your ratio could help raise your credit score more quickly. The limit increase isn’t an opportunity to spend more. It’s a way to strengthen your credit score.
0 comments:
Post a Comment