Isn't a terrible article but it's sloppy. If you have an unused card with an annual fee, it's a good choice for cutting. Fee vs. Free same rewards, sure cut that Fee card too. Beyond that it falls apart for all the usual reasons and some strange ones...
Vis a vis mid-cycle reports can happen sure, I've had BOFA do it to me once, but it's pretty rare as generally only if you step outside of your usual pattern as I understand it. I've gone Amex A-maxing a few times and never had one as an example and beat the hell out of both my Sallie and Fidelity cards at one point without issue... and heck these days Chase will mid-cycle report a $0 balance after it's been paid (!). Most places paying pre-statement date is just peachy, or before the end of the month if you have an old-school reporter (hi DCU!) in your profile, I don't even know where the author picked this one up from but I haven't been paying attention to the talking heads for the past year give or take.
Closing the newest card: unfortunately that's like being a little bit pregnant and I'm guessing this is a CK-anism It's on there, it'll affect your AAOA for as long as it's reported, 10 years after it's been closed. I do agree all things being equal I'd close a newer card than an older one, but it's incredibly rare that two cards (other than maybe tradeline farms, but if you are doing that anyway you don't need my or this article's advice) will be equivalent for a given individual. Maybe if we go back to no rewards land but I think that's here to stay personally.
