I have been trying in the last month to read, look at programs and ask professionals about credit issues. I have learnt that it is not good on your credit to close out your credit cards. Just try not to use them! I have been upset about my scoring and went to start closing all my credit cards. On that same day (earlier this month) I saw Suze Orman on Oprah and she said not to close your cards because instead of helping your credit it will most times worsten your credit. In the past my husband was in debt and unable to pay his creditors. Most of his accounts had not been paid in a year, so I pulled up his credit report which gave all the creditors account numbers and phone numbers and i called them all a made settlement agreements. I was given an option to pay all at once of even pay in three payments of the amount settled. In most cases I was able to tell them what I would pay them, ex. one account he owed $900. and I told them we could only pay $400. I was told that the less they would take was 50% of the amount owed on the account. That still worked out. I may help if you watch Suze Orman she has helped me. Is Levins still open where you live, they have been closed here for over ten years where I live. 
Hope this is of some help. I've been there, thinking do I feed my family or do I pay the credit cards with my paycheck.
Hope this is of some help. I've been there, thinking do I feed my family or do I pay the credit cards with my paycheck.
Hi and welcome. This is a great place to ask questions, and get your credit healthy again.
What’s In Your FICO® Credit Score
As far as the primary tool used by lenders to judge someone's credit worthiness it is FICO. Look at the pie chart. You'll see length of credit history accounts for 15% of your total FICO score. So it is not in your best interest to close them. Closing a cc account in good standing(with a balance) will do more harm than good. Just dont use it. Put it in a sock drawer and use it only once per year to keep it active.
That pie chart came directly from the "Credit Education" section in the black menu bar at top of page. I suggest you read every item contained in the menu bar, except perhaps "Get a Loan" & "Get a Credit Card"
I suggest that first off in repairing your credit, you stop using them 100%. Nada, cold turkey. Put them in your sock drawer. At the same time pay as much as humanly possible, within your means. Look at the pie chart. Amounts owed accounts for 30% of your FICO score.
Paying down the balances to under 10% was the only way I could raise my FICO score from 521 in March, to 681 in July.
You may have a lot of debt, but it doesn't sound like you have a tremendous amount of creditors....I would suggest working with them, calling and seeing if they will lower the percentage of interest, or take a smaller payment for a limited time....then take the smallest one, and really work on getting it paid off (or the one with the most ridiculous interest rate). See if you can get late/over limit fees waived...if you let them know you are sincere, they may work with you. Then stick to it faithfully. Tear up the cards, but don't close.....you will get new ones when they would have expired. You will still have the info to charge in case of emergency.
I did do a debt management plan, and its worked very well for me- but I also had about 15 creditors. But in your case, I think if you work on just the credit cards, you are probably within a manageable range.
And don't apply for any more...and don't use one to pay off another. And do something right away...if I had taken care of the debt management plan when it was first suggested to me by one of my creditors, I would be done.
Starting Score: EQ 679, TU 697