Does the maximum amount ever owed affect credit score?

Question

I have heard some people say that one of the factors lenders consider is the maximum amount that you have ever owed at one time. This appears on your credit report as the "highest balance" (1,2) or "high credit" (3,4). Is this true? It's not mentioned in most credit overview web pages.

I am aware that having high credit utilization (amount owed / credit limit) hurts your credit score. If having had a high maximum amount borrowed is beneficial, would the benefits of having a one-month high balance outweigh the negative effects of high credit utilization during this month if credit utilization was low for a full year after this event?

Answer 1

Although max. amount owed is not considered directly into consideration but still indirectly it impacts your credit score and future loan amounts.

For example, lets consider you owed a loan of $50K from ABC Bank and your loan repayment tenure was X yrs. Now what Credit rating agency do is, they see all your repayment history - the amount paid, date & also missed payments. If you happen to repay the amount within the time, your chances of getting a loan next time increases.

So when next time you go for a loan, you can easily get a loan for amounts higher than previous one i.e upto 75K and if you are lucky, maybe on a lower interest rate.

Answer 2

The maximum amount may not affect your FICO score; however, this will be reviewed when/if you are applying for installments loans, mortgages, and automobile financing. This particular range of data on the tradeline may be used in determining your interest rate. Lenders frown on consumers who overspend or fully max out their credit limit. Generally, you should make your personal maximum credit limit 24% of the actual. For example, your limit on a credit card is $10,000. Try not to run the balance above $2,400.