Do unused credit lines hurt your credit score? Unused lines of credit typically improve your utilization rate, which would improve your credit score. However, HELOCs are a type of revolving credit, just like a credit card.
After you're approved and you accept the line of credit, it generally appears on your credit reports as a new account. If you never use your available credit, or only use a small percentage of the total amount available, it may lower your credit utilization rate and improve your credit scores.
Closing a credit card can also affect your score because it can lower the average age of accounts on your credit report, especially if it's an account that's been open for a long time. The age of your accounts is factored into your credit score, with longer payment histories bolstering your credit score.
Having too many outstanding credit lines, even if not used, can hurt credit scores by making you look more potentially risky to lenders. You can boost your score in some cases by opening new credit cards if the new credit lines lower your overall utilization ratio.
Not using your credit card doesn't hurt your score. However, your issuer may eventually close the account due to inactivity, and that could affect your score by lowering your overall available credit.
In general, it's best to keep unused credit cards open so that you benefit from a longer average credit history and a larger amount of available credit. Credit scoring models reward you for having long-standing credit accounts, and for using only a small portion of your credit limit.
You may see a score dip — even though you did exactly what you agreed to do by paying off the loan. The same is true of credit cards. Usually, paying off a credit card helps lower your credit utilization because your remaining balances are a smaller percentage of your overall credit limit.
Closing a credit card with a zero balance may increase your credit utilization ratio and potentially drop your credit score. In certain scenarios, it may make sense to keep open a credit card with no balance. Other times, it may be better to close the credit card for your financial well-being.
“Too many” credit cards could be anywhere from 2 to 5 or more, depending on the individual. Everyone should have at least 1 credit card for credit-building purposes, even if they don't use it to make purchases, but the exact number of cards you should have differs from person to person.
A 0% credit utilization rate has no real benefit for your credit score. Instead of aiming for no utilization, keep your credit utilization rates below 30%, and preferably under 10%, to help your credit.
The standard advice is to keep unused accounts with zero balances open. The reason is that closing the accounts reduces your available credit, which makes it appear that your utilization rate, or balance-to-limit ratio, has suddenly increased.
The numbers look similar when closing a card. Increase your balance and your score drops an average of 12 points, but lower your balance and your score jumps an average of 10 points. Two-thirds of people who open a credit card increase their overall balance within a month of getting that card.
You closed your credit card. Closing a credit card account, especially your oldest one, hurts your credit score because it lowers the overall credit limit available to you (remember you want a high limit) and it brings down the overall average age of your accounts.
An increase in balances, credit limit or missed payments could have an impact on the potential mortgage advance. Some lenders may require a line of credit or credit card to be paid out or closed prior to approving a mortgage. You should clarify this during the pre-approval process and well before your closing date.
Increasing your credit limit, also known as a credit access line, won't necessarily hurt your credit score. In fact, you might improve your credit score. How you utilize the credit access line after the increase is one of the multiple factors that can impact your score.
Credit bureaus suggest that five or more accounts — which can be a mix of cards and loans — is a reasonable number to build toward over time. Having very few accounts can make it hard for scoring models to render a score for you.
Conventional loans require at least three tradelines (any combination of credit cards, student loans, car loans, and so on) that have been active within the past 12-24 months. FHA loans require two tradelines. It's fine to have more, but if you have fewer, you won't qualify for a mortgage.
There is no specific number of credit cards considered right for all consumers. Everyone's credit history is different. Lenders tolerate different levels of risk, and different credit scoring formulas have different criteria. What one lender views as too many credit cards may not be the same as another.
According to a recent report by Experian, the 2020 average credit limit for Americans across all credit cards was $30,365. However, individual credit card limits can be as low as $300 depending on the consumer's age, employment status and credit history.
Generally, it's best to keep your credit card account open—even when your account balance is $0. Here's why it's a good idea to keep your card open once you pay it off—and when it may make sense to close a card with no balance.
When looking at your credit card history, lenders want to see that you are using the account and that your payments are being made on time every month. Carrying a balance will not improve your credit scores. In fact, it could hurt them.
Credit scores can drop due to a variety of reasons, including late or missed payments, changes to your credit utilization rate, a change in your credit mix, closing older accounts (which may shorten your length of credit history overall), or applying for new credit accounts.
The Takeaway
Should you pay off debt before buying a house? Not necessarily, but you can expect lenders to take into consideration how much debt you have and what kind it is. Considering a solution that might reduce your payments or lower your interest rate could improve your chances of getting the home loan you want.
Some credit card issuers will close your credit card account if it goes unused for a certain period of months. The specifics depend on the credit card issuer, but the range is generally between 12 and 24 months.
You shouldn't close a credit card that has been open for a long time or a card with a high credit limit. Closing the account could negatively affect your credit history and credit utilization, and in turn, lower your credit score.