本文发表在 rolia.net 枫下论坛"Retail stores commonly offer customers 10 or 20 percent off their purchases in exchange for applying for a line of store credit. But these accounts can lower your credit score by affecting your "card utilization" - the credit limit on a particular card versus how much is owed on that card. Store credit is usually extended in small amounts - say, $250 - so a purchase of $100 uses almost half of that card's limit, which can negatively affect your credit score.
"Credit bureaus used to look at overall debt utilization, but now they look at the individual cards," says Scott Kuhn, a mortgage banker in Philadelphia who works to improve credit scores for potential clients. "You can have 10 credit cards, nine with no balance, and one with a $100 limit and a $100 balance - just that one card can bring down your score."
To avoid this pitfall, resist the short-term temptation to save a little at the register with a store credit card. Pay cash or use one of your current credit cards. Your long-range strategy will prevail in the end."更多精彩文章及讨论，请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net
"Credit bureaus used to look at overall debt utilization, but now they look at the individual cards," says Scott Kuhn, a mortgage banker in Philadelphia who works to improve credit scores for potential clients. "You can have 10 credit cards, nine with no balance, and one with a $100 limit and a $100 balance - just that one card can bring down your score."
To avoid this pitfall, resist the short-term temptation to save a little at the register with a store credit card. Pay cash or use one of your current credit cards. Your long-range strategy will prevail in the end."更多精彩文章及讨论，请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net