Utilization is your card balances divided by your credit limits. It's a big part of the "amounts owed" factor in scores, and you can change it quickly.
Common guidance
- Lower is generally better
- Many people aim to stay under 30% overall, and under 10% is often better still
- Both overall and per-card utilization can matter
- The balance reported is often the one on your statement
Try it
Our credit utilization calculator shows your numbers card by card.
General educational information, not financial or tax advice. Cents and Common Sense isn't paid by any bank, lender or card company.