Credit Clusterfuckery

Over the last few years (well, really since the bankruptcy) I’ve kept a fairly close eye on my credit score – mainly using ClearScore (who use Equifax data) and CreditKarma (which used to be Noddle, and use TransUnion’s data). Both services are free in perpetuity, and have done a pretty good job so far.

Anyway, back in 2019 I’d put a few things on credit (intentionally) and then merged it all onto one interest-free balance-transfer card which gave me a longer term to pay things off.  And my credit score went super-high, and has stayed there since.

In the last couple of months, I’ve completely paid that off, and all my cards now have a zero balance – which is a pretty good feeling, I can’t deny.  It’s always been well within my means, but still, it’s nice to be completely clear.

However, that’s had a significant knock-on effect on my score – because I owe nothing, my credit score has dropped by about 10% this month.  I know it kind-of sort-of makes sense, that they ‘can’t gauge my indebtedness’ if that figure is zero, but it also means that I could utilise 100% of my income to go into credit, yet somehow that’s less valuable. As is, of course, the perfect record for borrowing and paying back.  (Albeit without paying any bloody interest whatsoever)

All of which goes to show, yet again, that credit-scoring really is a monumental load of old bollocks.