Dear Liz: Help! In the last year, my credit scores have dropped 30 points. I don’t know why except that my credit reports noted that I used 10 credit cards recently. (I’ve had many dire emergencies lately, but I paid off all my balances as usual.) I’m terrified of more drops. What can I do?
Answer: Build up your emergency fund.
Because you charged your emergencies, you used up more of your available credit. The more of your credit you use, the more negatively your scores tend to react. It doesn’t matter that you paid your balances off each month. What counts is the balances that your credit card issuers report to the credit bureaus, which are typically the balances on your latest statements.
Now, the good news is that your scores probably will recover as soon as you start charging less. But you should take this as a sign that credit cards are a poor substitute for savings. An emergency fund could help you survive life’s inevitable setbacks without having to run to your cards.
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