I keep reading don't use more than 10% of your credit limit to increase score and not drop. What if you use let's say 70% of it and pay it off right away? is the whole 10% utilization thing count when the billing hits? or is this at all times?

Another question is if any of you had really bad credit before sent to collections and what not how long did it take you to rebuild credit to where you have over a 700 credit score?

1. Payment history - do not miss payments
2. Credit utilization - balance at 0-9% of total card limit. Stay under 20%
3. Deragatory remarks - Collection remarks
4. Credit age - 9 years or older improves
5. total credit (low impact) - more accounts = better
6. hard inquiries (low impact) - less is better 0-2 acceptable


Your credit balance on a card is reported once a month. So no, if you buy and pay it off, that balance won't be recorded most likely, but depends on the date that card company reports to the credit bureaus. You can make an account at credit karma for free and then see which date that card reports your balance.

Thanks man, this helps a lot.I screwed my credit when I was 25ish and just got to trying to fix it now. I wish I wasn't so irresponsible when I was younger.

Didn't see 2nd question.

I had some retarded apartment building report some balance to collections and some ****ty utility companies.

Once these fall off (I think 7 years - Either settle them, or DO NOT MAKE PAYMENTS ON THEM or it resets the 7 years.)

Then you can get some crappy low max balance card (usually by being a student or a secured card if needed) and you can have great credit in 6 months to 1 year.

I had bad credit and then NO credit. And now im up to near 800.

This gives me hope. Also when you say settle and don't make payments, do you mean just pay in full and do not make payments? I have one of the collection agencies sending letters saying they will remove it from my record in 30 days if I pay it. I owe another collection angency, I'm hoping they will let me pay to delete.

If they are small balances you can afford, pay them off in full. (also negotiate over the phone and say you'll pay in full right then if they can lower the total due) If you can't afford to pay them in full, set up a payment plan with the agreement they remove it from your collections record as long as you maintain your payments.Paying them off is the fastest way to repair your credit because having balances owing in collection really fks you

If you don't want to pay them. Then ghost them for several years until it falls off your credit report lol. But be prepared to be harassed for years via phone calls and letters.

I'd sign up for credit karma and you can see what is on your credit report. But you also need to check all 2-3 credit bureaus to verify there is nothing in collections on your report.