I have a freeze on my credit. I pay off my credit cards before finance charges occur. Credit utilization is very low ( 1% maybe at any given time). This past week, my score dropped 37 points. Tried getting ahold of Experian, Equifax, TransUnion but all I get are automated responses. No live persons to make an inquiry with. The credit freeze should keep my mind at ease but a precipitous drop in credit score makes me wonder if the scoring algorithm is messed up. I’ll check my score in a few weeks to see if this is a glitch. What can I do otherwise?
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If it’s in the high 700s to 800s don’t worry about it. Doesn’t matter.
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yeah, it is that range. Thanks.
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What ole said. I’m in the same position - no balance except for monthly expenditures, etc. I usually average around 820-840. Like you, I have my credit frozen. Experion sends me email alerts every time I pay off my cards: “Your balance has decreased!!!” as if I’m supposed to panic. lol
I regularly see if going up and down by 25 pts. Since I’m semi-retired and am not planning on major purchases I need a loan for, I don’t care. Whoever you call at the credit bureaus are likely not to know either.
Note: remember that if you freeze your credit, it’s hard to change gas suppliers. That nailed me last month. 
Likely not a significant issue. If the drop persists consider checking your credit report to make sure that that there is not an incorrect item on your credit report. If there is find a prediction model that take bets on how long it takes to credit bureau to respond!
That would worry me, too. You can see Vantage score 3.0 and some CREDIT REPORTs on Credit Karma for free after signing in. That should tell you why your score dropped. If you pay off a high balance after the statement CLOSE date but on or before the DUE date, that might explain it.
Just for future reference trying to reach a person, you can try https://gethuman.com/. They have the phone numbers and sequence of buttons to push to reach a human at many companies.
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The Clark Howard website lists phone numbers you can use to reach a real person at the three major credit bureaus. If you don’t see it, consider reaching out to Clark’s help center.
Reading this was reassuring for me too. I check my score more than I probably should while I’m getting my budget in shape, and I’ve also seen it bounce 20 or 30 points for no obvious reason. The advice to pull the actual report and look for something real, instead of staring at the number, is what I’m going to do. I didn’t know you could see the Vantage score and reports free on Credit Karma, so thanks for that tip.
This is really helpful advice. Credit scores can fluctuate for several reasons, and checking the actual credit report seems like the best first step before worrying too much. I also appreciate the tips about Credit Karma and contacting the credit bureaus directly. It’s a good reminder to look for the reason behind the drop rather than focusing only on the score itself. Thanks, everyone, for sharing these useful suggestions!
If you regularly obtain a copy of your credit report, you will likely see something from many years ago dropped off your report or some other common change it your overall mix of items. Its nothing to worry about unless you find something strange on your current report.
I bought a refrigerator for about 1500 and my score dropped sharply for a few months. I also have a great fico score and a freeze. I learned that if i purchase with my credit card that has a high limit, these fluctuations are far far less. I thought experian, etc. looked at overall credit utilization but I’ve consistently noticed that they look at each card separately.