Paying off the card with the smallest debt first helps motivate you to keep going. Once you've paid that off, move onto the next smallest debt. If one of your cards has a much higher interest rate, consider paying off that one first.
It's a good idea to pay off your credit card balance in full whenever you're able. Carrying a monthly credit card balance can cost you in interest and increase your credit utilization rate, which is one factor used to calculate your credit scores.
Paying off a credit card doesn't usually hurt your credit scores—just the opposite, in fact. It can take a month or two for paid-off balances to be reflected in your score, but reducing credit card debt typically results in a score boost eventually, as long as your other credit accounts are in good standing.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) says that paying off your credit cards in full each month is actually the best way to improve your credit score and maintain excellent credit for the long haul.
Experts generally recommend keeping your utilization rate below 30% (depending on the scoring system used) — but CNBC Select spoke to two credit gurus who say to aim for a single-digit utilization rate (under 10%) if you really want a good credit score.
While a 0% utilization is certainly better than having a high CUR, it's not as good as something in the single digits. Depending on the scoring model used, some experts recommend aiming to keep your credit utilization rate at 10% (or below) as a healthy goal to get the best credit score.
Yes, credit card companies do like it when you pay in full each month. In fact, they consider it a sign of creditworthiness and active use of your credit card. Carrying a balance month-to-month increases your debt through interest charges and can hurt your credit score if your balance is over 30% of your credit limit.
Even if you pay in full, credit card companies can still make money in a variety of ways. Card issuers can charge an annual fee to cardholders. Additionally, card networks and processors charge transaction fees to merchants. As long as you use your credit card, credit card companies can make a profit.
If you can max out a card and pay the full balance off on or before your next bill due date, your ratio won't be affected. That's because a credit card issuer only reports your information to the major credit bureaus once a month.
Similarly, if you pay off a credit card debt and close the account entirely, your scores could drop. This is because your total available credit is lowered when you close a line of credit, which could result in a higher credit utilization ratio.
When you pay off a loan, your credit score could be negatively affected. This is because your credit history is shortened, and roughly 10% of your score is based on how old your accounts are. If you've paid off a loan in the past few months, you may just now be seeing your score go down.
If you are looking to increase your score as soon as possible, making an early payment could help. If you paid off the entire balance of your credit card, you would reduce your ratio to 40%. According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, it's recommended to keep your debt-to-credit ratio at no more than 30%.
The bottom line
Reporting a balance on your cards of more than about 30 percent of its maximum credit line will hurt your score and carries additional risks. The lower your balances, the better your score — and a very low balance will keep your financial risks low.
Snowball method: pay off the smallest balance first
Some financial advisers suggest tackling the smallest balance first, while maintaining the minimum payments on the others.
Consider Paying Credit Cards With the Highest Interest First
You'll typically save the most money if you get rid of high interest debt as quickly as possible. The longer interest accrues on a balance, the more you'll pay.
Character, Capacity and Capital.
Yes, credit cards do check your income when you apply. Credit card issuers are required by law to consider your ability to repay debt prior to extending a new line of credit. So, listing your annual income is a requirement on every credit card application.
Pay more than the minimum payment each month.
If you have 30k in credit card debt, you need to be making significant payments toward your bill or your debt will continue to multiply. This means paying more than the minimum payment each month, and ideally more than what you added to your statement in the previous month.
In general, there are three debt repayment strategies that can help people pay down or pay off debt more efficiently. Pay the smallest debt as fast as possible. Pay minimums on all other debt. Then pay that extra toward the next largest debt.
The best way to pay off credit card debt without hurting your credit is to consolidate your debt with a loan or balance transfer credit card. There may be an initial dip in your score from a hard inquiry, but the positive effects quickly make up for it when you pay off the consolidated debt as planned.
If you want to keep your credit utilization ratio in good standing, aim to spend less than 30% of each card's credit limit.
In general, it's best to keep unused credit cards open so that you benefit from a longer average credit history and a larger amount of available credit. Credit scoring models reward you for having long-standing credit accounts, and for using only a small portion of your credit limit.
In fact, paying off your bill every month, on time, and keeping your balance low throughout the month is best for your score. Consumers with the highest scores are also generally those who limit their credit card balances to 10% or less of their credit limit.
Six or more credit card accounts might be too many for some people, given that the average American has a total of five credit cards. Everyone should have at least one credit card for credit-building purposes, even if they don't use it to make purchases, but the exact number of cards you should have differs by person.