Debt reduction should start with the cards where you're closest to your credit limit. And make sure to make all future payments on time. Some of the other quick fixes that people try usually don't work, says Tom Quinn, Fair, Isaac's director of consumer initiatives. The models looks at how you use the credit you've got, rather than the amount you have available. Individual lenders, however, might feel more comfortable if you reduced the amount of open credit you have available.
Credit scores consider patterns of behavior.
You have to show yourself creditworthy over a period of time. Credit scores look at how much of your available credit you've used. When you're close to the line you look out of control. True, your average debt looks lower compared with your total, available credit. But new credit lines don't weigh as heavily in the formula as old ones do.