Too many bankcards with high balance compared to credit limit

VantageScore 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

VantageScore's explanation says you have bankcard or revolving accounts with balances that are high compared to their limits. Code 29 looks at the total across your cards. This one counts cards.

Picture four cards with $20,000 in total limits. Two have $1,000 limits and carry $900 each. The other two have $9,000 limits and carry nothing. Overall use is $1,800 of $20,000, or 9%, yet two cards sit at 90%. That's the pattern behind this code.

What to check on your credit report

• Each card's own balance divided by its own limit
• Small-limit cards, which hit high percentages on small balances
• Cards reporting a limit lower than the real one

What you can do about it

• Pay the highest-percentage cards down first, even when they hold the smallest balances.
• Move everyday spending to cards with more room.
• Ask for limit increases on small-limit cards you've held for a while.

The free utilization planner can help with this step.

How soon a change can show

Like the other balance codes, it reads the latest reported balances, so a paydown before the statement closing dates can change it within one cycle.

If you are applying for a mortgage

Before a mortgage application, check each card's own percentage as well as the total. Two maxed-out small cards can hold a score down while the overall number looks healthy.

Guides that go deeper

• 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.
• Credit utilization, explained with the mathCredit utilization is card balances divided by card limits. See the math per card and overall, what counts, and why last month's ratio stops mattering.
• What a higher credit limit does to your scoreA higher limit lowers your utilization only if your balance stays put. How the math works, when the request costs a hard pull, and when to skip it.
• 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.