什么是信贷利用率以及如何降低它？

您的付款历史是决定您的信用评分的最大因素，但除了可用信用总量、信用类型组合和信用历史之外，您还需要了解信用状况的另一个关键组成部分 - 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.

您的付款历史是决定您的信用评分的最大因素，但除了可用信用总量、信用类型组合和信用历史之外，您还需要了解信用状况的另一个关键组成部分 - 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.

信用利用率代表当前正在使用的可用信用总额的百分比，可能会影响信用评分的 10-30%。如果您的信用额度相对较低，那么降低信用额度来建立信用评分应该不会花费太多。

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.

如果您不确定信贷利用率到底如何运作，请不要担心。我们将帮助您了解该比率对您的信用评分的影响，并为您提供提示和工具，以减少您的信用利用率并提高您的信用评分。如需了解更多信息，请查看这些将信用评分保持在 800 以上的秘密提示，或了解三大信用局及其运作方式。

What is a credit utilization ratio?

什么是信贷利用率？

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。举个基本的例子，如果您有一张信用卡限额为 1,000 美元，而您的当前余额为 200 美元，则您的信用比率为 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.

在计算您的信用利用率时，VantageScore 将仅考虑循环信用或信用卡帐户。 FICO 会将您的信用比率视为其“所欠金额”类别的一部分，即您的债务总额。

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.

请务必记住，VantageScore 和 FICO 会监控您的总信用利用率（使用所有信用卡的余额和信用额度）以及每个个人帐户的比率。如果您的总体比率较低，但您的一张卡已满，则可能会降低您的信用评分。

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.

也许更重要的是，信用机构不会使用您当前的信用卡余额来计算您的信用利用率。他们使用信用卡发卡机构向信用局报告的账户余额来计算。每个发行人都有自己的系统，但报告的数字通常是月度报表中的余额。

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.

即使您每个月都还清信用卡余额，如果您在账单周期内的任何时候信用比率较高，也可能会损害您的信用评分。

What's a good credit utilization ratio?

什么是良好的信贷利用率？

"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.

美国国家信用咨询基金会高级副总裁布鲁斯·麦克拉里 (Bruce McClary) 告诉 CNET：“通常建议您的信用卡余额保持在指定信用额度的 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.

据 CBS News MoneyWatch 报道，信用利用率为 50% 或更高可能会使您的分数降低 50-100 分，而最高比率为 90% 或更高则可能会降低 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."

虽然 30% 或更低的信用比率是一般指导方针，但那些想要获得优异信用评分的人需要将其保持在更低的水平。根据信用评级公司 Experian 的说法，“如果您注重拥有优秀的信用评分，那么个位数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.

“事实是，你的余额越低越好。你携带的越多，你的分数就越低，”Money Fit 的教育经理托德·克里斯滕森 (Todd Christensen) 告诉 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.

但您不应将信贷比率设定为 0%。 Experian 还表示，“确保您的利用率始终为 0% 的唯一方法是根本不使用信用卡”，这可能会导致发卡机构关闭您的账户，减少您的可用信用并提高您的比率。

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.

由于信用比率是借入的资金除以信用额度的表达式，因此降低该比率的主要方法是降低债务并增加信用额度。以下是实现这一目标的最佳方法。

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

每月支付信用卡账单两次，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机构报告您的余额，该数字通常来自您的信用卡对账单。即使您每个月都还清信用卡账单，如果您的对账单显示余额占信用额度的比例很高，您的信用评分也会受到影响。

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.

如果您经常使用信用卡，请考虑每月还款两次，或者当您的余额接近信用额度的 30% 时。在线信用卡账户可以让您轻松地进行或安排任意数量的付款，并且您可以为您的余额设置通知（见下文）。

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

如果您的限额为 1,000 美元，并且每月在卡上花费 900 美元，则 90% 的信用利用率几乎肯定会降低您的信用评分。如果您在余额达到 300 美元时还清，或者