The content is accurate at the time of publication and is subject to change.

No, you should not close old accounts. Old accounts bode well for the length of your credit history which can be a significant portion of your credit score. Also it will decrease your overall credit limit which could cause a shift in your credit utilization. This is basically your debt to credit ratio. You should never use more than 30% of your limit on a particular card or more than 30% of your overall limit. Therefore if you close several accounts that had a total credit limit of $20,000 and you now have 2 cards with a total of a $10,000. Then your boiler for your home needs to be replaced and you now have to carry a balance of $6,000. That would put your credit utilization at 60% which could have a negative impact on your credit score. So, keep those credit lines open. I recommend if you haven't used a card in a long time make a small purchase with it just to keep it active.

tags : Banks Credit Score

Disclaimer: This editorial content is not provided or commissioned by the banks or credit card issuer(s). Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of the banks or credit card issuer(s), and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the banks or credit card issuer(s). Reasonable efforts are made to present accurate info, however all info is presented without warranty. Consult with the issuing bank of the card or account for terms & conditions.
All rates and fees, and other terms and conditions of the products mentioned in this article/post are accurate as of the last update date but are subject to change. See the current products' Terms & Conditions on the issuing banks' websites.