Why is there a red circle next to characters, but there's nothing to upgrade?

I have the same problem. Number changes between 2 and 3 next to my Characters icon in the Cantina. No gear to apply, no abilities to upgrade. My OCD really wants it to go away. lol

Other people have similar problem. I figured out why this is happening. Posting here: http://answers.ea.com/t5/Bugs-and-Issues/Home-screen-show-Character-upgrades-but-none-are-available-for/m-p/5008536#M788

Please fix this annoying issue!

The issue is sub-crafting most likely and answered here: http://answers.ea.com/t5/Bugs-and-Issues/constantly-3-symbol-with-my-characters-in-the-home-menu/m-p/5055738#U5055738