Slab wrote:How much does a very long account history affect credit scores? I ask this because I know of someone that walked away from their 3 credit cards that were maxed out and had a repossession. He was able to keep his Amex green card during this process which is now 22 years membership. His credit file consists of a 6 month old auto loan of $5000 and the Amex card. All of the baddies have fallen off, the last of which was 3 years ago. His Equifax Fico is 736. With such a thin credit file is the high Fico due to the 22 year old credit card? He found about his score after I encouraged him to apply for the Discover It card and he was approved online for $3800. This is the third person that I have encouraged to apply for the Discover It plus myself and, we have all been approved. Equifax was the CRA used each time by Discover.
Average Age of Accounts is a factor, for sure. That's one of the many reasons that members here, with an older AMEX, like to get additional AMEX cards -- they backdate to the original YEAR of the oldest card. If your friend has an interest in another AMEX card, that should be a factor to look at. Going for one of the revolvers would be a benefit, for the new tradeline as well as the backdating.
What is your friend's Experian score? AMEX usually (but not always) pulls EX. Any idea how many inquiries, for EX as well as the other bureaus, in case they do pull something else?
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