Close a Credit-Card Account to Avoid Fees?
You might have to pay if you don't use your card, but you could hurt your credit score if you close the account.
Editor's note: This story has been updated in 2012.
Thank you for your More Credit-Card Fees Coming article. I have several cards that I don’t use, and I worry that I could get hit with inactivity fees and other new fees if the card companies look for ways to make money in reaction to the new credit-card law. It seems as though it would be better to close the credit-card accounts rather than have to pay the fees, but I’ve heard that doing so can hurt your credit score. Sounds like a Catch-22. What should I do?
You’re right -- that’s a tough situation. You want to avoid paying inactivity fees or annual fees on cards you don’t use, but closing credit-card accounts can hurt your credit score. If you’re careful, however, you can get rid of those expensive cards you don’t use while minimizing the impact on your score.
![https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/hwgJ7osrMtUWhk5koeVme7-200-80.png](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/hwgJ7osrMtUWhk5koeVme7-320-80.png)
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
Closing credit-card accounts can lower your score because of the impact on your credit-utilization ratio, which is the total of your card balances divided by the credit limits on all of your cards. If you close cards you haven’t used in a while but don’t pay down the balances on your other cards, your score could drop because your total balance will account for a higher percentage of your overall credit limit.
The impact on your score depends on how much your utilization rises. If your utilization ratio goes from, say, 7% to 15%, then your score will go down a modest amount, says John Ulzheimer, president of consumer education at SmartCredit.com. But if it goes from 7% to 85%, then a score in the 800s could drop into the low 700s or high 600s, he says.
The best strategy is to pay down your balances before closing any card accounts so that you minimize the impact on your credit score. “A better long-term approach is to keep credit-card balances low as a matter of habit,” says Craig Watts, of FICO, the company that created the credit score most lenders use. Ulzheimer recommends keeping your balances to less than 10% of your available credit starting three to six months before you apply for a mortgage or other loan.
Keep in mind that it's the total amount you've charged that counts for your credit score, whether or not you pay the bill in full each month. For more information about improving your credit score, see Fast Ways to Improve Your Credit Score.
Get Kiplinger Today newsletter — free
Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and much more. Delivered daily. Enter your email in the box and click Sign Me Up.
As the "Ask Kim" columnist for Kiplinger's Personal Finance, Lankford receives hundreds of personal finance questions from readers every month. She is the author of Rescue Your Financial Life (McGraw-Hill, 2003), The Insurance Maze: How You Can Save Money on Insurance -- and Still Get the Coverage You Need (Kaplan, 2006), Kiplinger's Ask Kim for Money Smart Solutions (Kaplan, 2007) and The Kiplinger/BBB Personal Finance Guide for Military Families. She is frequently featured as a financial expert on television and radio, including NBC's Today Show, CNN, CNBC and National Public Radio.
-
5 Stocks to Buy for a Trump Presidency
The race for the White House is heating up and these five stocks are set to benefit if Donald Trump claims victory.
By Will Ashworth Published
-
6 Target-Date Funds to Buy For Your Retirement
These six target-date funds are good set-it-and-forget-it options that are a staple of retirement plans.
By Nellie S. Huang Published
-
Credit Report Error? They All Matter
credit & debt Don't dismiss a minor error. It could be the sign of something more serious.
By Kimberly Lankford Published
-
Insurance for a Learning Driver
insurance Adding a teen driver to your plan will raise premiums, but there are things you can do to help reduce them.
By Kimberly Lankford Published
-
529 Plans Aren’t Just for Kids
529 Plans You don’t have to be college-age to use the money tax-free, but there are stipulations.
By Kimberly Lankford Published
-
When to Transfer Ownership of a Custodial Account
savings Before your child turns 18, you should check with your broker about the account's age of majority and termination.
By Kimberly Lankford Published
-
Borrowers Get More Time to Repay 401(k) Loans
retirement If you leave your job while you have an outstanding 401(k) loan, Uncle Sam now gives you extra time to repay it -- thanks to the new tax law.
By Kimberly Lankford Published
-
When It Pays to Buy Travel Insurance
Travel Investing in travel insurance can help recover some costs when your vacation gets ruined by a natural disaster, medical emergency or other catastrophe.
By Kimberly Lankford Published
-
What Travel Insurance Covers When Planes Are Grounded
Travel Your travel insurance might help with some costs if your trip was delayed because of the recent grounding of Boeing 737 Max planes.
By Kimberly Lankford Published
-
Ways to Spend Your Flexible Spending Account Money by March 15 Deadline
spending Many workers will be hitting the drugstore in the next few days to use up leftover flexible spending account money from 2018 so they don’t lose it.
By Kimberly Lankford Published