Number of bank/national revolving accounts with balances

FICO code number

Code numbers can differ by bureau and score version. The wording of the statement is what to match.

What puts this reason on your score

In FICO's published list, this statement is code 23 on Equifax's FICO Score. The TransUnion and Experian entries are marked as FICO 10T codes, so on the scores most lenders use today you'd expect to see it from Equifax.

Four bank cards each reporting $50 can trigger it, even though the total is only $200. Store cards and loans don't count toward this one.

What to check on your credit report

• Count bank cards with a reported balance above zero on your Equifax report.
• Note each card's statement closing date.

What you can do about it

• Before an application, pay all but one bank card to zero before their statement dates.
• Run everyday spending through one card for a few months.

The free middle score can help with this step.

How soon a change can show

Each card's balance updates on its own reporting date, so a full month of updates shows the new count.

If you are applying for a mortgage

Because it's an Equifax code, it drags on only one of your three mortgage scores, and that can still change which score ends up in the middle.

Guides that go deeper

• The AZEO method, with the math and the trade-offs shownAZEO means letting every card report $0 except one with a small balance. A worked 3-card example, what it costs, and when it's worth doing.
• Per-card vs. overall utilization: why one maxed card still hurtsScores look at each card's balance-to-limit ratio and at all cards combined. See how one maxed-out card can drag down a healthy overall ratio, with math.
• Middle credit score rule: two borrowers, FHA and Fannie MaeLenders pull three scores and use the middle one, or the lower of two. How FHA, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and USDA handle it, including two borrowers.
• What your credit score reason codes are telling youReason codes list what held your score back the most, in order. What the common ones mean, which you can act on, and which to leave alone.