Should You Pay Off Your Credit Card Balance Before the Statement Closes

Episode 10 of The Credit Score Podcast with Fexingo breaks down a controversial credit score strategy: paying off your credit card balance before the statement closing date to report a zero balance. Lucas and Luna examine the mechanics of credit utilization, the trade-off between maximizing score and building credit history, and why the conventional wisdom to always carry a small balance might be flawed. They reference the FICO scoring model and use a specific example showing how a low utilization rate can temporarily boost a score by 10–20 points — but also why a permanently zero utilization might hurt your chances when a lender sees a thin file. The episode explains the difference between statement balance and current balance, and why paying early can backfire if you need a credit limit increase. No fluff, just practical borrower health. #CreditScore #FICO #CreditUtilization #CreditCardStrategy #PersonalFinance #BorrowerHealth #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #CreditReport #Finance #LucasAndLuna #StatementClosingDate #ZeroUtilization #CreditLimit #DebtManagement #RewardsCards #FinancialLiteracy #MoneyTips Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo