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by pwg 277 days ago
> Your balance won't hurt your credit score.

This implies "carrying a balance". Which, if true, is far worse than a 50 point credit score loss, because the interest on credit card balances usually is just shy of being high enough to be defined as Usury.

Credit cards are best used when one pays the balance in full every month, so that no interest charges accrue.

1 comments

Your balance is the unpaid amount on any given day. Your utiization is a snapshot of your balance on your statement date.

You could have a 0 balance for 28 days and unknowingly make a large purchase the day before your statement closes and now youre at 63% and your score takes a hit. You could also be at 63% of your limit for 28 days and pay just before your statement closes and have a 0% utilization and your score doesnt take a hit.

So even if one pays the balance in full every month, so that no interest charges accrue, they can impact their credit if timed incorrectly and that could lead to higher rates elsewhere.

I'm sorry it didn't translate as I'd hoped.