Should you cancel credit cards with no balances - The Bills.com Blog

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Should you cancel credit cards with no balances

Monday, Nov 12, 2007

Question: Is it better for me to cancel credit cards with no balances on them, or keep them open? I currently have over 14k is available credit that I don't use. Thanks!

Answer: The answer to your question depends on several factors, such as whether or not you have used the accounts in the past, if you have a good payment history with the creditors, and how much available credit you currently have on the accounts. If you have used the cards and have maintained a good payment history with the creditors, you may want to keep the accounts open, as accounts with long positive payment histories have a beneficial influence on your credit score. However, if you
have never used the accounts, thus never established a payment history, it is possible that the open accounts could be weighing down your credit score. Having too much available credit tends to make you look like more of a risk to lenders, as you could potentially put yourself in financial
trouble in a very short time.

For more information about credit reports, credit scoring, and what they mean to you, I encourage you to visit the Bills.com Credit Resources page, available at http://www.bills.com/credit/.

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

Best,
Bill
www.bills.com/blog/

Also, make sure to get a free financial health check-up with Bills IQ!

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Bill has answered all sorts of questions and has been able to provide those in need of financial guidance with helpful and valuable advice and information on their specific financial area of interest. If you need specific guidance on any of the above mentioned financial areas, feel free to Ask Bill your financial questions and get better informed. Also, make sure to get a free financial health check-up with Bills IQ!

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