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Discovering that your credit score has dropped by 100 points overnight without a clear reason can be an unsettling and stressful experience. However, it's important to realize that you don't always have to miss a payment or apply for numerous loans to adversely affect your score. In fact, simply closing an old credit card, applying for a new one, or paying off a loan can result in a significant point reduction.
The encouraging news is that most of these score fluctuations are manageable with some straightforward solutions. In the following sections, we will delve into the 8 potential reasons why your credit score dropped for no reason, including the less obvious ones, and provide you with practical tips for effectively addressing these issues.
Key Takeaways
We've compiled additional reasons that your credit score might fall and solutions for how to address each one.
A missed payment is the most common reason for a significant dip in your credit score. As a rule of thumb, credit bureaus tend to report payments as late when they exceed a 30-day grace period, though penalties may still apply.
Some credit card providers and lenders might even give you up to 60 days to make the payment, as long as you stay in contact with them (do bear in mind, however, that you would definitely have to pay a late fee).
If you fail to make the payment within 30-60 days, the creditor will most likely report to the credit bureaus. Unfortunately, the higher your score, the worse the possible damage can be.
The only thing that you can really do is make the payment and hope that the creditor will forgive you. Call the lender or credit card provider, ensure the money has reached them, and ask them not to report to the credit bureaus as you’ll be making payments on time from now on.
If you cannot make the payment within the specified period, stay in touch with the creditor. Once you explain your situation, the chances are high that the representative will come up with a solution for you.
In the worst-case scenario, the late payment will hit your credit report and the score might drop as much as 180 points.
Credit cards are undeniably convenient when it comes to handling substantial expenses, sparing you from the need to lay out a significant sum all at once. However, it's important to be aware that such expenditures can lead to a decrease in your credit score due to an increase in your credit utilization rate.
The credit utilization rate essentially illustrates the proportion of credit you are using in comparison to the total credit available to you. This ratio plays a significant role in determining your credit score, constituting 30% of your overall score. The lower your credit utilization rate, the more positively it impacts your score.
In general, it is advisable to maintain your debt-to-credit ratio at or below 30%. Individuals boasting excellent credit scores typically manage to keep their credit utilization at approximately 10%.
If you have already made a large purchase, you should try to pay it off as soon as possible. After that, you might want to return to using only a small portion of the credit that’s available to you.
Alternatively, you could ask for a higher credit limit. But make sure to find out beforehand if that would result in a "hard inquiry."
When applying for a loan or a new credit card, some lenders and card issuers may request your credit report to assess your creditworthiness. These requests, known as 'hard inquiries,' don't necessarily have to be a negative occurrence, but they can cause a slight drop in your credit score.
It's crucial to keep in mind, however, that an excessive number of hard inquiries can have a more pronounced impact on your credit score. A single 'hard pull' can potentially reduce your credit score by as much as 10 points, while multiple inquiries may result in a more substantial decrease.
Related: Can you have more than one personal loan?
Apply for loans or credit products only when you genuinely need them, and ideally, limit such applications to no more than once every three months.
Prioritize applying for products for which you are more likely to be approved, possibly by exploring pre-approval options. While pre-qualification doesn't guarantee approval, it provides you with a rough estimate of your eligibility, helping you gauge your likelihood of obtaining the desired credit product.
Closing your credit card might seem like a logical step once you've paid off your debt or no longer find its benefits appealing. However, it's essential to reconsider this decision carefully.
When you close a credit card, your overall credit limit automatically decreases, causing your debt-to-credit ratio to rise. Moreover, if this card happens to be one of your oldest accounts, your credit score could suffer because it lowers the average 'age' of your credit history.
Closing an old credit card makes sense if it's no longer in use, especially if you're burdened with a hefty annual fee. However, even in such circumstances, consider reaching out to your card issuer first. They may offer alternatives, such as downgrading to a no-annual-fee card. By doing this, you can preserve the credit line, which can positively impact your credit utilization rate.
It's quite surprising how often errors creep into credit reports, with approximately one in every five individuals encountering inaccuracies in their credit reports. These mistakes can encompass various issues, such as payments reported as late when they weren't, or payments attributed to the wrong account.
Don't hesitate to dispute any inaccuracies. Regularly monitor your credit reports, as you're entitled to one free report annually. If you spot an error, you can file a dispute either by mail or online. Keep in mind that you may need to reach out to each credit bureau individually and provide the necessary supporting documentation.
If your credit score experiences a significant, unexplained drop, this could be a sign of identity theft.
Obtain a copy of your credit report and carefully scrutinize it for warning signs, such as unfamiliar addresses and accounts. If you suspect someone is fraudulently opening credit accounts in your name, promptly file a report through identitytheft.gov.
If you've co-signed a loan with a friend or relative and they've made late payments or defaulted on the loan, your credit score is likely to suffer as well.
Initiate a conversation with the co-signer to address the issue amicably. However, if you're unable to resolve the situation in a timely manner, and you don't have access to the account, you might consider making the payment yourself or paying off the credit card and subsequently closing it. This step can help mitigate the negative impact on your credit score.
Settling a loan is undoubtedly a positive financial milestone. However, what many people don't realize is that this achievement can temporarily lead to a reduction in their credit score. While paying off credit card debt tends to have an instant positive impact on your score (provided you keep the account open), handling larger loans like student loans or mortgages might result in a score drop.
This happens because paying off such loans typically entails closing an account, which means you have one less active credit account in your name. The mix of credit types you hold contributes to 10% of your credit score, so this adjustment can influence your score. Additionally, closing the account can also lead to a higher debt-to-credit ratio, which can be unfavorable. If the loan account was your oldest, closing it may negatively affect the length of your overall credit history.
A potential decline in your credit score should not deter you from paying off your debt. In most cases, this drop is temporary, and your credit score will gradually rebound. To aid in the recovery, ensure you maintain the activity of your other credit accounts and make timely payments.
Credit score fluctuations can result from various actions, both obvious and less evident. These include late payments and even paying off debt. Many of these score drops are temporary, and your credit score typically recovers over time.
When readers looked up reasons for dropping credit scores, they also looked up the following topic:
Discovering that your credit score has plummeted by over 100 points can be an extremely stressful ordeal. This stress can escalate further when an unexpected financial crisis occurs, and your emergency fund falls short of covering the expenses. In such a scenario, you might naturally contemplate taking out a loan.
However, securing approval from a traditional lender becomes progressively challenging as your credit score declines. The process of credit score improvement may take weeks or even months, leaving you wondering about your immediate options.
Simple Fast Loans provides a solution for individuals in this predicament. They offer personal loans catering to both good and bad credit histories. The team at Simple Fast Loans understands that various factors can temporarily affect your credit score, and they believe that these unforeseen setbacks should not hinder you from accessing urgently needed funds.
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