Credit utilization
Credit utilization is how much of your available credit you're using — your reported balance divided by your credit limit — and it makes up about 30% of your FICO score.
Why it matters
It's the fastest score lever you control: unlike payment history, you can change your reported balance in a single billing cycle, and it has no memory once a lower balance reports.
Example
A $300 balance on a $1,000 limit is 30% utilization; aim to keep it under 10%, with the low single digits (roughly 1-9%) being the sweet spot.
Learn more
Educational only — not financial advice. No guarantees.