cspace21

Remember that it takes atleast 30 days for your credit score to adjust to how your using your credit cards or how things are reflecting in the reporting. I would assume that since you weren't using your cards, the scores went up. Since the reporting for your not using the card came out at the same time you were using the, the usage on your card made your score go down. But it was reported when the balance on the accounts were up but were reported after you made your payment a month later. Confusing but made sense to me lol.

Pay the card off every month if you can. However, the utilization ratio will still be valid. In that month the cc company will still report your highest balance or average daily balance to the bureaus. There is no appropriate utilization percentage but try to stay on the lower end. If you can't try to increase your credit line.

Reissued cards are based on the same credit line not account number. However, if you recognize the card number has changed. Check with the lender and make sure that the account open date is still the same. If they reported the card lost/stolen it should be the same.