Like many other sub regulars, I've found u/BrutalBodyShots' Credit Myth series informative and also helpful in explaining these myths to others. A while ago I started compiling them in order to make it a lot easier to link to them in my comments.
I figure I might as well share the list I made, because more than once I've told people to search through his post history if they want to read them all. Also notice at the end I included several other threads of his that I've found useful, especially the one that contains that utilization flow chart. I can't tell you how much typing that's saved me since he made it.
I'll try to keep this list updated as more Credit Myth threads come out, but even if I fall behind this is a great place to start. And if anyone finds any mistakes or messed-up links, please let me know.
u/BrutalBodyShots on the Credit Myth series:
"I started the Credit Myth series in 2024 after continuously running into the same credit-related misconceptions on these subs. Having fallen prey to almost all of them myself, I completely understand how most believe what are in fact credit myths. It took me years to overcome many of them, so hopefully through the Credit Myth series that process can be significantly shortened for others.
With over 60 of these threads to date, most of the 'big ones' have been debunked at this point. The series isn't yet complete however, and perhaps never will be since over time additional myths seem to surface. If anyone has any ideas for future topics that aren't already covered, always feel free to reach out and let me know.
Special thanks to u/Funklemire for creating this thread and offering to maintain the master list, as well as to u/soonersoldier33 for seeing value in it enough to keep it front and center on r/CRedit."
.
Credit Myth #1 - You only have one credit score.
Credit Myth #2 - Some credit scores are fake or inaccurate.
Credit Myth #3 - Paying down debt slowly over time builds credit.
Credit Myth #4 - Credit scores can change for no reason.
Credit Myth #5 - Credit monitoring services can tell you why your score changed.
Credit Myth #6 - Making multiple payments per month builds credit.
Credit Myth #7 - Number or percentage of on-time payments impacts your score.
Credit Myth #8 - When you close an account you lose its credit history.
Credit Myth #9 - Average Age of Accounts (AAoA) only considers open accounts.
Credit Myth #10 - Closing a credit card hurts your credit.
.
Credit Myth #11 - Closing a loan will tank your credit.
Credit Myth #12 - You are approved or denied credit because of your credit score.
Credit Myth #13 - Any credit score above 750 is just bragging rights.
Credit Myth #14 - You shouldn't use more than 30% of your credit limit(s).
Credit Myth #15 - Credit limits are a Fico scoring factor.
Credit Myth #16 - Hard inquiries "age" and become less impactful slowly over time.
Credit Myth #17 - "Credit builder" products are superior for building credit compared to non "Credit builder" products.
Credit Myth #18 - Revolving Utilization makes up 30% of your Fico score.
Credit Myth #19 - Goodwill requests don't work.
Credit Myth #20 - Checking your own credit can hurt your score.
.
Credit Myth #21 - Remarks/comments on your credit report can impact a credit score.
Credit Myth #22 - You can have a credit score of 0.
Credit Myth #23 - The best approach to credit repair is "dispute everything!"
Credit Myth #24 - Credit bureaus only provide factual information.
Credit Myth #25 - Fico scores and credit knowledge are directly related.
Credit Myth #26 - Those in the [credit] business only give good advice.
Credit Myth #27 - The amount you spend is a Fico scoring factor.
Credit Myth #28 - Credit scoring simulators are always accurate.
Credit Myth #29 - Approval odds for credit cards online are accurate.
Credit Myth #30 - Income and/or DTI are Fico scoring factors.
.
Credit Myth #31 - Credit Repair Companies can do things you can't do yourself.
Credit Myth #32 - Higher utilization always means higher risk.
Credit Myth #33 - A creditor must tell you the reason they denied you credit.
Credit Myth #34 - Removing a negative item from your reports will result in a score gain.
Credit Myth #35 - Your Fico score will drop if you pay off a credit card.
Credit Myth #36 - The more accounts you have, the better your Credit Mix.
Credit Myth #37 - Low utilization improves CLI chances.
Credit Myth #38 - Paying off loans or cards faster builds credit.
Credit Myth #39 - Credit cycling will get you shut down.
Credit Myth #40 - If you open a new card, your score will recover in 3-6 months.
.
Credit Myth #41 - If you pay off a collection your score will increase.
Credit Myth #42 - When you apply for credit, the potential lender will only see the bureau report that they hard pull.
Credit Myth #43 - Credit scores are a debt score!
Credit Myth #44 - Personal loans or in-store financing will help / can't hurt your credit.
Credit Myth #45 - There are certain times during the month you shouldn't use your credit card.
Credit Myth #46 - Lenders "see" more with a hard inquiry (HP) than a soft inquiry (SP).
Credit Myth #47 - A hard inquiry is worth a few points.
Credit Myth #48 - Experian, TransUnion and Equifax are credit scores.
Credit Myth #49 - The best way to rebuild credit is to open new accounts.
Credit Myth #50 - "Experian Boost" can help improve your credit.
.
Credit Myth #51 - A Credit Lock is better than a Credit Freeze.
Credit Myth #52 - "Pay in full" means to pay your current balance to $0.
Credit Myth #53 - You shouldn't open any accounts in the 12 months leading up to a mortgage.
Credit Myth #54 - Carrying a small balance builds credit.
Credit Myth #55 - A credit account can be closed for no reason.
Credit Myth #56 - VantageScore is a good predictor of a FICO score.
Credit Myth #57 - It's illegal for lender to change a negative reporting.
Credit Myth #58 - Outside lenders have no idea how much you pay toward your accounts monthly.
Credit Myth #59 - You should never close your oldest credit card.
Credit Myth #60 - FICO scores drawn upon identical data from different bureaus will be exactly the same.
.
Credit Myth #61 - Age of accounts metrics go by number of calendar days.
Credit Myth #62 - There are days during the month that you shouldn't use a credit card.
Credit Myth #63 - A product change means a new account.
Credit Myth #64 - Credit scores are a scam!
Credit Myth #65 - If your score drops following a loan closure, it'll bounce back quickly.
Credit Myth #66 - FICO scoring is a "black box" and no one really knows how it works.
Credit Myth #67 - There's never any downside to keeping an old unused credit card open.
Credit Myth #68 - The best place to get your credit reports are from the credit bureau's websites.
Credit Myth #69 - Credit "ratings" provided by a CMS matter.
Credit Myth #70 - Authorized user accounts are a great way to build credit.
.
Credit Myth #71 - The dollar amount associated with a late payment impacts FICO scoring.
Credit Myth #72 - Keeping utilization low is good advice for budgeting purposes.
Credit Myth #73 - ChatGPT/AI only gives good credit advice.
Credit Myth #74 - Closing young accounts improves Average Age of Accounts (AAoA).
Credit Myth #75 - You need to satisfy diversity of Credit Mix first in order to obtain real loans.
Credit Myth #76 - A purchase or payment made can immediately impact a credit score.
Credit Myth #77 - FICO negative reason codes and lender denial reasons are the same thing.
Credit Myth #78 - An elevated "highest balance" on a credit card is always a bad look.
Credit Myth #79 - You should only freeze your credit if you encounter an issue with your reports.
Credit Myth #80 - DTI and revolving utilization are the same thing.
.
Credit Myth #81 - Inferior/predatory issuer products are a necessary step for weaker credit profiles.
Credit Myth #82 - Unsecured credit cards build credit better/faster than secured cards.
Credit Myth #83 - The best place to get your credit scores are from the credit bureau's web sites.
Credit Myth #84 - Credit cards are for emergencies.
Credit Myth #85 - Whether an account is closed by consumer or credit grantor matters.
Credit Myth #86 - Being denied credit hurts your score.
Credit Myth #87 - Your due date comes before the statement closes.
Credit Myth #88 - All credit scores with a "max" of 850 can be achieved.
Credit Myth #89 - You can only get your credit reports from annualcreditreport.com once per year.
Credit Myth #90 - With auto pay, you can "set it and forget it."
.
Credit Myth #91 - FICO scores are for consumers.
Credit Myth #92 - The utilization myth no longer applies because trended data is now used.
Credit Myth #93 - You need to watch out for the "All Zero" penalty.
Credit Myth #94 - You need a lot of accounts in order to achieve perfect credit.
Credit Myth #95 - "Credit builder" apps are a great way to build credit.
Credit Myth #96 - As an authorized user, the score of the person you "borrow" the account from impacts yours.
Credit Myth #97 - FICO scores are always lower than VantageScores.
Credit Myth #98 - As a co-signer, you have less responsibility than the person you co-signed for.
Credit Myth #99 - It costs money to monitor your credit.
Credit Myth #100 - For an account to remain "paid as agreed" you need to make payments.
.
Credit Myth #101 - Different FICO scores are always similar.
Credit Myth #102 - Higher interest rate credit cards are worse than lower interest rate cards.
Credit Myth #103 - You need all "exceptional" ratings to achieve a perfect 850.
Credit Myth #104 - Reporting a balance is the same thing as carrying a balance.
Other helpful threads:
.
Goodwill Saturation Technique (GST)
Goodwill Letters - Using the "CART" approach.
Credit Karma 101: The good and the bad.
Credit Karma targeted email manipulation #1: On-time payments.
Credit Karma targeted email manipulation #2: Confirm your cards.
Credit Karma targeted email manipulation #3: Closed account.
Credit Karma targeted email manipulation #4: Approval odds.
Credit Karma targeted email manipulation #5: Come back!
Credit Karma targeted email manipulation #6: You paid off your balance.
Credit Karma targeted email manipulation #7: Metal cards.
Ideal Utilization [chart] - Step aside, 30% Myth...
Credit Scoring Primer: A great Fico scoring resource.
