Statement Date vs Due Date: The Credit Timing Trick

When you pay your bills can impact your balance and your credit score.

Do one thing: To avoid late fees and potentially save on interest, the best time to pay your credit card bill is before – or by – the due date.

More Americans Say Carrying Debt ‘Normal’

While one of the best financial strategies is to never spend more on your credit cards than you can pay off by the end of the month, life sometimes gets in the way. In fact, carrying credit card debt from month-to-month has become a way of life for millions of Americans. In a 2025 Harris Poll, some 49% of U.S. adults reported that carrying revolving debt – in other words, they don’t pay off their bills every month. That has essentially become the norm.

You’re Not Alone

What that means is that if you aren’t able to pay off the total balance on your credit cards by the due date, you are far from alone. But you should also know that you can get out of debt (and improve your credit score) if you set your mind to it. And some credit timing strategies can help.

What are Credit Timing Strategies?

Yes, timing can help lower credit card balances and utilization ratios, which, in turn, will eventually help boost your credit score. To understand how, you need to first understand your credit score.

What Impacts Your Credit Score?

The five elements mentioned below go into your credit score for VantageScore, one of two major credit scoring models used in the U.S. Please note here that not all elements are weighed equally. Payment history and total credit usage (also known as credit utilization) are often more influential than the others.  

• Payment History:  When payments are made. One missed or late payment can ding your score. 
• Total Credit Usage (utilization): Percentage of available credit being used.
• Credit Mix & Experience: Types of credit, such as revolving credit, vehicle loans, and mortgages.
• New Accounts Opened: Recent applications for new credit accounts.
• Balance & Available Credit: How much you owe and what’s available to spend.

Unpacking Credit Utilization

Of all of the factors baked into your credit score, your credit utilization ratio may be one of the most misunderstood pieces of the puzzle. And it plays a big role in timing. Simply put, your credit utilization ratio is the percentage of your total credit available compared to the amount of credit that has been used.

Crunching the Numbers

To find your ratio, divide what you owe by your total available credit.

• If you have one card with a $2,500 limit and owe $1,250, that means you are using 50% (or half) of the credit available to you.
• That makes your credit utilization ratio 50%. 

Pro-tip: The goal is to use less of your available credit to boost your score. Those who have credit utilization rates of 30% or lower tend to have higher credit scores.

Strategies for Timing Credit Card Payments

If you aren’t aren’t able to pay your credit card balances at the end of every payment grace period or payment cycle, there are strategies you can use to knock down your balance and also lower your credit utilization ratio. Beverly Harzog, a credit card expert and author of “The Debt Escape Plan,” offers these tips for doing just that, including:

• Make multiple payments before the due date 
• Pay more than the minimum amount due
• Pause non-essential spending to pay down debt

“One thing you can do other than making your payment on time is to make more than the minimum payment – or make two payments a month,” she says. “That’s really going to help you lower your utilization ratio and will lead to less interest expenses that you will have to pay.”

Which Brings Us Back To Timing

When it comes to making more than one payment a month, also known as making micro payments.

• Micro payments strategy. With this strategy, you pay at least half of the bill two weeks before the due date, then pay the remainder by the due date.
• If you make a large purchase, you can also immediately make another payment to bring your utilization ratio back in line.  

It sounds simple, but believe it or not, those moves can mean the difference between a credit score that helps you qualify for the lowest rates on loans (and cards) you’re looking for — and those that don’t get you over the line. 

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How to Always Pay on Time

Ways to ensure your bills are always paid on time.

Everyone can miss a bill payment from time-to-time. It’s when you string together a few misses that things can go south quickly. If you’ve been struggling to make timely payments, use some of the tips below to get back on track.

Organize Your Payments

Paying bills on time can be quite difficult if you’re a bit disorganized.
• Take some time to clearly list out your accounts.
• Then go through your budget so that it is updated with the most current information.
• Once you have a clear big picture, paying bills becomes that much easier.

Make it Automatic

One of the easiest ways to pay bills on time is to just make it automatic. No guesswork needed. No reminders.

AutoPay for Fixed Payments

Simply set up auto payments for fixed expenses, like your:

• Mortgage/Rent payments
• Car payments
• Phone bills
• Some utilities

Paying Credit Card Bills

You can also set up auto-pay for your credit card, though you’ll likely need to choose between paying the minimum, a specific amount, or the full balance. 

Use Reminders

If you’re app-averse or don’t want to leave it up to technology:

• Try adding your bill due dates to your calendar and setting reminders.
• Be sure to set the reminders for two or three days before the actual bill due dates.
• That extra buffer will be helpful.

Add Buffers

One simple tweak that can seriously reduce money stress is adding due date buffers.

• What is a Due Date Buffer? A small cushion between when your paycheck is deposited and your automatic payments gives your money time to land, settle, and actually be available before payments go out, no more juggling balances or overdraft fees.

How to Set Up Due Date Buffers

If your lenders allow it:

1. Map bills to paydays. List your bills and pay schedule to see which due dates fall too close to payday.
2. Check with lenders. Log in or call to confirm whether your lender allows due date changes.
3. Move the date and confirm timing. Request a new due date 3–5 days after payday and verify when the change takes effect.
4. Update autopay and monitor. Adjust autopay if needed and keep an eye on the first cycle to make sure everything runs smoothly.

It also helps you see your real spending power more clearly, making it easier to plan, save, and stay on top of bills without feeling like you’re racing the clock every month.

Tech is Your Friend

There are plenty of financial apps out there that make your life easier. Take a look at apps like Mint, which can help you track your spending, saving, and bills. 

Do One Thing: Use some sort of strategy — a budgeting app or calendar reminders — to track your bills and ensure they’re paid on time, every time.

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How to Improve Credit Score

Raise your score by doing a few key things.

When it comes to credit scores, there’s almost always room for improvement. If you’ve pulled your score and you’re not satisfied with the number you received, there are several strategies to boost it. But first, you need a little insight into how that score is calculated.

How is My Credit Score Generated?

VantageScore, the company that generates the credit score you see here, uses five major categories of information, all of which were reported to the credit bureaus by your lenders to generate scores that range from 350 to 850 (higher is better, of course).

VantageScore Breakdown

Each category is weighed differently. Here’s how your VantageScore* breaks down:

• 40% Payment History. Lenders want to see a history of consistent, on-time payments.

• 23% Credit Usage. Also known as credit utilization, it’s the ratio between the total balance you owe and your total credit limit on your accounts.
  
  • Tip:  Try to keep your credit utilization at 30 percent or below. If you are consistently maxing out your credit cards, it may look like a sign of desperation in the eyes of a lender.

• 21% Credit Age. This is the age and type of credit you have. This percentage factors into how long you’ve had different kinds of credit accounts open. The older your credit history, the better.

• 11% Account Mix. Your credit account mix considers the number and type of accounts you have. Your score may be higher if you have a mix of both installment credit, like mortgages or car loans, and revolving credit, like credit cards.

• 5% Inquiries. This is based on recent credit applications. Opening multiple credit accounts in a short period could represent a greater risk for lenders — multiple recent inquiries may worry the lenders that you are applying to so many places because you are unable to qualify for credit — or because you need money in a pinch — so avoid opening too many accounts too quickly.
  
  • Tip: You don’t have to worry about this if you’re shopping for a mortgage or car loan. All inquiries within 14 days count as a single inquiry.

How to Raise Your Score

Here are some easy-to-follow ways to boost your score.

Pull Your Credit Reports

You can pull your report from the three major credit scoring bureaus:

• TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian will each allow you one free copy of your report each week.
• If your financial institution is a SavvyMoney partner, you have access to your report and score daily through online or mobile banking.
• If you get a copy directly from the credit scoring bureaus, it’s a good idea to spread them out by pulling one every four months.

What to Do About Errors on Credit Reports

Once you’ve got your full credit report:

• Search for errors. If you find an error in your report, you should dispute it.
• Report errors immediately. Simple mistakes – the wrong address or a misspelling of your name – can be fixed by calling the creditor and asking for an update.
• Contact bureaus. If they won’t oblige or the error is more complicated, you should dispute directly with the credit bureaus. You can do this online.

Pay Your Bills On Time

One day late is still considered late, and just one late payment can lower your score.

Pay Down Credit Card Debt

You don’t want to use more than 30% of the total credit available to you. Keeping your utilization well below that (closer to 10%) can give your score a boost.

Hang Onto Old Cards

Your credit score benefits from long relationships with lenders, so cut them up, but don’t cancel them if you can help it.

Be Thoughtful About New Credit

Every time you apply for a new card or loan, the lender takes a peek at your credit history, which may ding your score.

Spread Your Debts Around

The mix of credit you have in your file—mortgages, student loans, auto loans, credit cards—shows that you can manage debt from multiple sources.

Patience

Remember that time and patience are key. You shouldn’t expect a change overnight, but you may see improvement in 12 to 18 months – shorter, if your score is already fairly high and you’re just looking for a bit of a bump.

*based on VantageScore 3.0

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Annual Meeting

R.I.A. FCU’s Annual Meeting will be held Friday, April 10 at the Utica Ridge branch (4343 Utica Ridge Rd, Bettendorf, IA). The meeting begins at 6 p.m., with food to follow. Reservations are required, tickets are $5 each, must be purchased in advance, and are non-refundable.

HOMEBUYING AND SELLING WORKSHOP

Our mortgage team is hosting another homebuying and selling workshop next month. Attendees will learn crucial information on the homebuying process. Our mortgage team and experts in the field will speak on everything you need to know about homebuying and selling.

Join us to learn about appraisals, realty, and received helpful information from our loan officers.

Wednesday, May 30th
from 5:30 – 7:00 PM

R.I.A. Federal Credit Union
4343 Utica Ridge Road
Bettendorf, IA, 52722

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

Food Bank Volunteering

Several members of our team recently dedicated their time to volunteering at the local food bank, helping prepare and organize food for distribution to individuals and families throughout our community. Supporting meaningful causes like this reflects our commitment to giving back, and we’re grateful for the opportunity to make a positive impact while helping ensure our neighbors have access to essential resources.

R.I.A. GOLF OUTING BENEFITING THE HONOR FLIGHT OF THE QC

Summertime is coming and that means golf! This year marks the 11th Annual R.I.A. Federal Credit Union Golf Outing for Honor Flight, and we couldn’t be happier to share it with you!

WHEN: Friday, May 15th at 10 a.m.
WHERE: Byron Hills Golf Course

For information on sponsorship reach out to Julie Deporter at 563-484-5448, or jdeporter@riafcu.com.

Martini Shake Off

 R.I.A. was proud to sponsor and attend this year’s Martini Shake Off in support of HAVlife of the Quad Cities, an organization dedicated to shining a light on the lost potential of youth ages 10 to 15. HAVlife’s mission is to provide funding that helps children participate in camps, programs, and events their families might not otherwise be able to afford, opening doors to opportunity and growth. This ever-popular event drew an impressive turnout from across the community. We were also thrilled to celebrate our very own Steve Ducey, who was honored with an award recognizing his civic leadership and community vision.

JA BOWL-A-THON

R.I.A. was excited to participate in this year’s Junior Achievement Bowl-A-Thon, proudly sponsoring six teams to take part in the event. The Bowl-A-Thon plays an important role in bringing meaningful classroom programs and hands-on learning experiences to students, helping them build essential skills for future success. Through our involvement, we were able to support a cause that strengthens our community while also creating lasting memories together as a team.

Special Closings

Memorial Day
Monday, May 25
Juneteenth National Independence Day 
Friday, June 19

Remember, you can still access your credit union account on holidays and after hours with your R.I.A. FCU ATM/Debit Card, Mobile Banking, DANA or Internet Account Access. Sign up today!

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