ORIGINAL: GMMAT
Matt.....it would also (believe it or not) do you GOOD to leave a balance and pay it off on terms (on your CC). Doesn't make sense to many.....but it will build your credit score higher to carry a loan (or CC balance) to term.
Only if every payment is in on time. What most people fail to realize is that credit score is not just a reflection of if the creditor will get their money back, it's a reflection of the likelihood they will receive their payments on time.
I pay everything on my one credit card (for the airline miles) but no matter how high the balance, it gets paid off at the end of each month, no exceptions.