什麼是信貸利用率以及如何降低它？

您的付款歷史是決定您的信用評分的最大因素，但除了可用信用總量、信用類型組合和信用歷史之外，您還需要了解信用狀況的另一個關鍵組成部分 - 您的信用利用率。

Your payment history is the biggest factor in determining your credit score, but along with total credit available, mix of credit types and credit history, there's another critical component of your credit profile that you need to be aware of -- your credit utilization ratio.

您的付款歷史是決定您的信用評分的最大因素，但除了可用信用總量、信用類型組合和信用歷史之外，您還需要了解信用狀況的另一個關鍵組成部分 - 您的信用利用率。

Representing the percentage of your total available credit that is currently in use, credit utilization can impact anywhere from 10-30% of your credit score. And if your credit limit is relatively low, it shouldn't cost you too much to bring down the ratio to build up your credit score.

信用利用率代表目前正在使用的可用信用總額的百分比，可能會影響信用評分的 10-30%。如果您的信用額度相對較低，那麼降低比率來建立信用評分應該不會花費太多。

If you're not sure exactly how the credit utilization ratio works, don't worry. We'll help you understand the impact of the ratio on your credit score and provide you with tips and tools to reduce your credit utilization and increase your credit score. For more, check out these secret tips for keeping a credit score above 800 or learn about the three major credit bureaus and how they operate.

如果您不確定信貸利用率到底如何運作，請不要擔心。我們將幫助您了解該比率對您的信用評分的影響，並為您提供提示和工具，以減少您的信用利用率並提高您的信用評分。如需了解更多信息，請查看這些將信用評分保持在 800 以上的秘密提示，或了解三大信用局及其運作方式。

What is a credit utilization ratio?

什麼是信貸利用率？

Your credit utilization ratio is the percentage of your available credit that you are using. For a basic example, if you have one credit card with a $1,000 limit, and your current balance is $200, your credit ratio is $200 / $1,000, or 20%.

您的信用利用率是您正在使用的可用信用的百分比。舉個基本的例子，如果您有一張信用卡限額為 1,000 美元，而您的當前餘額為 200 美元，則您的信用比率為 200 美元/1,000 美元，即 20%。

VantageScore will consider only revolving credit, or credit card accounts, in the calculation of your credit utilization ratio. FICO will consider your credit ratio as part of its "Amounts Owed" category, which is how much debt you have in total.

在計算您的信用利用率時，VantageScore 將只考慮循環信用或信用卡帳戶。 FICO 會將您的信用比率視為其「所欠金額」類別的一部分，即您的債務總額。

It's important to remember that VantageScore and FICO monitor your total credit utilization (using balances and credit limits for all your credit cards) as well as the ratios for each of your individual accounts. If your overall ratio is moderately low, but you have one card maxed out, that could bring your credit score down.

請務必記住，VantageScore 和 FICO 會監控您的總信用利用率（使用所有信用卡的餘額和信用額度）以及每個個人帳戶的比率。如果您的總體比率較低，但您的一張卡已滿，則可能會降低您的信用評分。

Perhaps more important is that credit bureaus don't calculate your credit utilization ratio using your current credit card balances. They calculate it using the account balances that your credit card issuers report to the credit bureaus. Each issuer has its own system, but the reported numbers are often the balances from your monthly statements.

也許更重要的是，信用機構不會使用您目前的信用卡餘額來計算您的信用利用率。他們使用信用卡發卡機構向信用局報告的帳戶餘額來計算。每個發行人都有自己的系統，但報告的數字通常是月報表中的餘額。

Even if you're paying off your credit card balances every month, if you have a high credit ratio at any time during your billing cycle, it could hurt your credit score.

即使您每月都還清信用卡餘額，如果您在帳單週期內的任何時間信用比率較高，也可能會損害您的信用評分。

What's a good credit utilization ratio?

什麼是良好的信貸利用率？

"It's commonly recommended that your credit card balances are kept at or below 30% of your assigned credit limit," Bruce McClary, senior vice president of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling, told CNET.

美國國家信用諮詢基金會高級副總裁布魯斯·麥克拉里 (Bruce McClary) 告訴 CNET：“通常建議您的信用卡餘額保持在指定信用額度的 30% 或以下。”

According to CBS News MoneyWatch, a credit utilization ratio of 50% or higher could ding your score 50-100 points, and a maxed-out ratio of 90% or more will potentially lower it by 100 points or more.

根據 CBS News MoneyWatch 報道，信用利用率為 50% 或更高可能會使您的分數降低 50-100 分，而最高比率為 90% 或更高則可能會降低 100 分或更多。

While 30% or less credit ratio is the general guideline, those who want excellent credit scores will need to keep it even lower. According to credit rating company Experian, "If you're focused on having excellent credit scores, a credit utilization ratio in the single digits is best."

雖然 30% 或更低的信用比率是一般指導方針，但想要獲得優異信用評分的人需要將其保持在更低的水平。根據信用評級公司 Experian 的說法，“如果您注重擁有優秀的信用評分，那麼個位數的信用利用率是最好的。”

"The truth is, the lower your balances the better. The more you carry, the more it might lower your score," Todd Christensen, education manager at Money Fit, told CNET.

「事實是，你的餘額越低越好。你攜帶的越多，你的分數就越低，」Money Fit 的教育經理 Todd Christensen 告訴 CNET。

But you shouldn't aim for a credit ratio at 0%. Experian also says, "the only way to be sure you have 0% utilization all the time is to refrain from using your credit cards at all," which could result in an issuer closing your account, reducing your available credit and increasing your ratio.

但您不應將信貸比率設定為 0%。 Experian 還表示，“確保您的利用率始終為 0% 的唯一方法是根本不使用信用卡”，這可能會導致發卡機構關閉您的帳戶，減少您的可用信用並提高您的比率。

How can I lower my credit utilization ratio?

如何降低信用利用率？

Since credit ratio is an expression of money borrowed divided by credit limit, the main ways to decrease that ratio are to lower your debt and increase your credit limit. Here are the best ways to accomplish that.

由於信用比率是藉入的資金除以信用額度的表達式，因此降低該比率的主要方法是降低債務並增加信用額度。以下是實現這一目標的最佳方法。

Pay your credit card bill twice a month, or even more

每月支付信用卡帳單兩次，甚至更多

Credit card companies report your balances to credit bureaus on a regular basis, and that number often comes from your credit card statements. Even when you're paying off your credit card bill every month, if your statement shows a balance that's a high percentage of your credit limit, your credit score will suffer.

信用卡公司定期向信用機構報告您的餘額，該數字通常來自您的信用卡對帳單。即使您每月都還清信用卡帳單，如果您的帳單顯示餘額佔信用額度的比例很高，您的信用評分也會受到影響。

If you use your credit card frequently, consider paying it off twice a month, or whenever your balance approaches 30% of your credit limit. Online credit card accounts make it easy to make or schedule as many payments as you'd like, and you can set up notifications (see below) for your balances.

如果您經常使用信用卡，請考慮每月還款兩次，或當您的餘額接近信用額度的 30% 時。線上信用卡帳戶可讓您輕鬆進行或安排任意數量的付款，並且您可以為您的餘額設定通知（請參閱下文）。

If you've got a $1,000 limit and spend $900 a month on your card, a 90% credit utilization ratio will almost certainly ding your credit score. If you pay it off as your balance hits $300, or

如果您的限額為 1,000 美元，並且每月在卡上花費 900 美元，則 90% 的信用利用率幾乎肯定會降低您的信用評分。如果您在餘額達到 300 美元時還清，或者