If you want to raise your credit score would it be best to pay off your credit cards at the end of the month?

Or would it be best to leave a balance and the end of a month to increase your credit score?

Public Comments

1. If you review your credit report you WILL NOT see anywhere a rating for early payoff. You will see all your credits and loans listed and listings of late payments. Each year get a free credit report and make sure the information is correct such as job, address and accounts open or closed. Keep your debt risk low. One card with, say $3500 limit. More cards and debt risk work against your score. Me
2. try to control your inquiries....... dont be late..on accounts and try to stay at 65% of your credit limits...that will help you pick up your scores...trust me
3. this is what i have always done - pay off my credit cards each month. it is the smart thing to do for me as i don't have to pay any interest this way. but it doesn't do a lot for building my credit but it does show a pattern of payments and if any are late, etc.. but what helps to raise your score more is to have a loan that you have not paid off right away, but instead have been paying it monthly for at least a year or more. as the other guy said you would not want to have too many credit card accounts open, or have many credit inquiries on your credit report as these can affect your fico score negatively also. you should be able to contact the credit bureau and ask them to take the credit inquires off your record. this is what helped me and it helped increase my score - it is now 770. and as you probably know the higher the fico score the better interest rates, etc. you get. good luck in raising yours.
4. yes pay in full each month helps your score because it raises your available credit.