re: Credit Score Timing Question - Wife's Score Vs Mine

Ya its a confusing system by design. Your payment date and the credit card companies bureau reporting date are two different things. There's a customer service # on the back of your cards you can call and they'll confirm that little fact for you.

They may be business cards but if they're attached to your social and report monthly on your CR they affect your personal score all the same.

The credit coaching aspect of what I have to do kinds centers around reporting healthy balances over time. Making your minimum payment on or by the payment date prevent late fees and late payment history which are both important.

The balance on the CCs on the REPORTING DATE is what affects the scores month to month. So if you paid 5k and had the balance at zero on the DUE date but the reporting date is several weeks after and thats what gets reported to the bureaus it doesn't take the 5k you paid into account. It reports whatever the balance is on that date. If that balance happens to be over 30% of the limit on the card then it'll affect the score negatively. This is cumulative for all of the revolving accounts month to month.