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Mark Cappel

UpdatedJan 29, 2010

If I close several credit card accounts, will that lower my credit score?

Recently my credit card rules have changed as you know. I have received several notice from some of my credit cards with an "Opt out" option if I do not agree to the higher interest rate they are now going to charge. Most of these accounts I use on a "once in a while" basis and have no balance on them. If I opt out of the credit card account due to the interest increase/change in terms, will it affect my credit report negatively. Is there a process I should go through with the credit reporting agencies so that my credit report does not go down due to this. I am more mad at these companies than anything and if it makes more senses I will just cut up the cards and never use the accounts again.

Keep your oldest credit account open because it establishes the baseline for your credit history.

Take these steps: First, go to AnnualCreditReport.com and get a no-cost, no-gimmick copy of your credit report. Second, with your credit report in hand, locate your oldest account. Do not close that one for the reason I cited above. If this account is one that offends you, hold your nose and keep it. Use it occasionally to keep it active, but pay the balance immediately so that the evil bank that wishes to charge you an arm and a leg for interest earns no profit from you. Keep this card at bay until the bank comes to its senses, lowers your interest rate, and earns your business.

As you are inquiring about how to improve your credit score, let me give you some information on how a credit score is calculated. Your credit rating is calculated based on several variables, including:

Payment history

Payment history counts for approximately 35% of your score and is the most heavily weighted factor used in calculating your credit score. Consistently paying your bills on time has a positive influence on your score, while late or missed payments will hurt you in this area. If you have delinquent payments, the older the delinquency the less the negative impact on your score will be. Collection accounts and bankruptcy filings are also taken into consideration when analyzing your payment history.

Total debt and total available credit

This counts for about 30% and weighs how much debt you have compared to the total available credit on your accounts. If all of your accounts are maxed out, you will be considered a poor credit risk, because it appears that you are struggling to pay off the debt you have already incurred. If your account balances are relatively low compared to your available credit, this part of the risk analysis should help your overall credit score.

The score calculation also looks at these two factors independently. Having too much available credit, whether you have used it or not, could hurt your credit score, as statistical studies have shown that people with excessive amounts of available credit are a higher credit risk. Unfortunately, the bureaus do not define exactly what they consider excessive, so best tip is to use credit conservatively and to keep your debt to credit limit ratio low.

Length of positive credit history

This counts for about 15%. The longer you maintain accounts in good standing, the better your score will be. This shows that you are able to make a long-term commitment to a creditor and are consistently responsible about making your payments. If you have accounts with long history (5 or more years) and no missed payments, you should keep these open and paid off.

Mix of types of credit

This counts for approximately 10%. Having several different types of credit, such a credit cards, consumer loans, and secured debt, will have a positive influence on your credit score. Having too much of one type of credit can have a negative impact.

The number of new credit applications you have recently completed

This accounts for about 10% of your score. Applying for too much new credit in a short time period makes indicates that you could be credit risk, as you may be desperately trying to keep your head above water. The models make an exception for people who are shopping around for a loan, so if you are simply applying to see who can give you the best rate on a new loan, you need not worry too much about damaging your credit score.

How to improve a credit score

Here are four steps to improve your credit score:

1. Pay off all debts and keep revolving lines below 25% utilization. Do not "max out" any loans or cards.

2. Diversify you credit portfolio. If, for example, you have only a Visa, MasterCard, or Discover card, get a department store credit card or card from a gasoline retailer. Make your payments every month. Leave a small balance every once in a while to show that you are able to handle debt on more than one account.

3. Keep your oldest credit account active. Remember "Length of positive credit history" discussed above.

4. Pull your credit report and contest any inaccurate information so that it can be corrected by the credit bureaus. Go to the Bills.com debt self-help center for sample dispute letters. The credit bureaus must follow the rules set forth by Congress in the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).

If you would like to learn more about credit reports, credit scoring, and what it means to you, I encourage you to explore the wealth of material offered by the Bills.com credit information page.

I hope this information helps you Find. Learn & Save.

Best,

Bill

www.bills.com/