topic Re: ???s about AAoA, credit limits, closed accounts in Understanding FICO® Scoring

???s about AAoA, credit limits, closed accounts

DoppelgangerD — Mon, 19 Jan 2026 18:15:24 GMT

I tried researching these topics, but just couldn't find the answers I was looking for.

Anyway, I want to close a few (credit card) accounts that I just don't use anymore and for other reasons.

I'm curious how some "factors" may affect my credit scores...

For example, I know there are factors for average age of accounts, but do those factors also use "closed account information" into the formulas?

A couple of the accounts I'm considering closing are older, but not my oldest accounts.

I also know that banks use your current credit limits as a way to partly determine what your new credit limit for the card you're applying for will be.

So I'm curious how closing a few accounts will affect those statistics in my scores too.

Are they still considered if they're closed?

While closing those accounts will substantially affect my total credit limit and utilization rate, I don't think that will be a factor that will change my scores since my total credit limit will still be quite high.

(I'm around/over 200k and looking to cut maybe 20% of that.)

My utilization is normally around 1-2%.

FYI:

My current credit reports consist of only credit card accounts and 1 auto loan paid off 1.5 years ago, so my scoring is factored almost completely from credit cards.

Current lowest FICO score is 792.

Re: ???s about AAoA, credit limits, closed accounts

Thomas_Thumb — Tue, 20 Jan 2026 02:01:00 GMT

Fico includes closed accounts in calculation of AAoA and in setting AoOA.

Of course credit limits of closed accounts do not factor into total credit limit (TCL) or revolving utilization. Those credit limits are no longer available.

Reporting an aggregate utilization at 5% (4.5% rounded up) may penalize score. However, it appears you will remain below that level.

If AG UT spikes and score drops, it is only temporary. Just make some pre statement close payments in future months to report lower balances or don't fret about the small score drop.

Re: ???s about AAoA, credit limits, closed accounts

DoppelgangerD — Mon, 19 Jan 2026 23:45:10 GMT

@Thomas_Thumb wrote:
Fico includes closed accounts in calculation of AAoA and in setting AoOA.

Of course credit limits of closed accounts do not factor into total credit limit (TCL) or revolving utilization. Those credit limits are no longer available.

Thanks for the input!

So just to be clear, when it comes to age of account factors, it doesn't matter if they're open or closed, and if I choose to close 2 or 3 accounts (out of 13 total), it shouldn't really affect me negatively(?).

I do want to (potentially) open a new credit card soon.

So would it matter if I applied before or after closing those accounts?

I think it could possibly help me by waiting till after closed accounts report, since the amount of open accounts and combined credit lines could be viewed as risky.

On the other hand, the new credit limit could be reduced based on average credit limit that will go down a bit.

Of course every bank is different.

I know I'm overthinking it, but that's unavoidable, lol.

New CC app would be either Langley [5% revolver], or the Chase Prime card. I still have the old Synchrony Prime card that came before Chase version existed, and I'm tired of seeing others get offers from Chase for that card, and it'd be nice to have it right next to my Freedom Flex in the same app. Also Synchrony sucks, so I'd like to be rid of them from my portfolio.

Also on the chopping block is the old Synchrony 2% MC and the Synchrony Paypal MC.

Those all add up to $44k of credit lines, which will hurt my ego to lose, but I'm more tired of the dead weight.

I also have some baggage with Capital One, but trying to be patient to see how it pans out with Discover before doing anything there. Maybe I'll be able to transfer credit lines from C1 to Discover, ...maybe maybe maybe...

Re: ???s about AAoA, credit limits, closed accounts

Thomas_Thumb — Mon, 19 Jan 2026 23:51:30 GMT

If your most recent revolving account opening is greater than 12 months ago, opening a new revolver will typically drop score 15-20 points. An additional 5 point drop on the CRA with the HP.

The impact of the closures on AAoA is zero. What cards to close now and open later depends on your wants. My view of closing before opening new or vice versa is no significant difference either way.

Re: ???s about AAoA, credit limits, closed accounts

BrutalBodyShots — Tue, 20 Jan 2026 00:58:44 GMT

Hey there @DoppelgangerD! There is no FICO penalty for closing accounts. You don't lose any history nor are your aging metrics impacted when you close a few cards. That shouldn't be a concern at all. You said you don't want the accounts any longer, so be done with them.

Closed account limits are still able to be seen and considered by future issuers. Those limits will still be factored into any lending decision for another credit card.

Don't sweat the loss of some of your TCL, as TCL isn't a FICO scoring factor either.

Re: ???s about AAoA, credit limits, closed accounts

1lifeisworthit — Fri, 30 Jan 2026 18:24:36 GMT

@DoppelgangerD wrote: ...I also have some baggage with Capital One, but trying to be patient to see how it pans out with Discover before doing anything there. Maybe I'll be able to transfer credit lines from C1 to Discover, ...

LOL! I'm the upside down image of that. I dislike Discover, and am holding off on closing it until I find out if I can transfer my Discover limit to my Capital One accounts!

Best of luck to each of us.

Re: ???s about AAoA, credit limits, closed accounts

DoppelgangerD — Sun, 01 Feb 2026 08:03:29 GMT

Closed the Synchrony MC today...

Disappointing yet satisfying...

Next up is the Synchrony Paypal MC, but I might need a bit to work up to it.

Gonna be tuff losing a perfectly good 20k CL.

Re: ???s about AAoA, credit limits, closed accounts

1lifeisworthit — Thu, 12 Feb 2026 22:44:16 GMT

I have the Synchrony Paypal Mastercard.

I don't have any plans to close it, find it easy to use and to pay.

But if Synchrony decides to close it on me for whatever reason, I'm fine with it. It is not a card I depend upon. Just makes it easy to buy things online from places such as Ebay.

Re: ???s about AAoA, credit limits, closed accounts

DoppelgangerD — Fri, 13 Feb 2026 00:00:22 GMT

@1lifeisworthit wrote:
I have the Synchrony Paypal Mastercard.
I don't have any plans to close it, find it easy to use and to pay.
But if Synchrony decides to close it on me for whatever reason, I'm fine with it. It is not a card I depend upon. Just makes it easy to buy things online from places such as Ebay.

I haven't had any issues with it, just that 99% of all my purchases at this point are @ 5% or more cashback, so 3% is useless to me.

That's the main reason.

Re: ???s about AAoA, credit limits, closed accounts

BallBounces — Fri, 13 Feb 2026 19:48:15 GMT

@DoppelgangerD wrote:
@1lifeisworthit wrote:
I have the Synchrony Paypal Mastercard.
I don't have any plans to close it, find it easy to use and to pay.
But if Synchrony decides to close it on me for whatever reason, I'm fine with it. It is not a card I depend upon. Just makes it easy to buy things online from places such as Ebay.
I haven't had any issues with it, just that 99% of all my purchases at this point are @ 5% or more cashback, so 3% is useless to me.
That's the main reason.

Absolutely understood. Closing a synch card is never a "bad" idea, assuming all the utilization metrics etc are covered, which they are in your case.

On the other hand ... I think thay Paypal card is probably the best of their bunch. Yoy may have 5% category cards, but that 3% is nice as well. Plus, in my case, I already use Paypal in general and will continue to do so on some level, so it is nice to have an integrated card and integrated HYSA, despiute the slow updating associated with Synch. In short, I am keeping that card and do have a recurring bill that gets me 3% which is not available on my 5% cards right now.

Re: ???s about AAoA, credit limits, closed accounts

DoppelgangerD — Fri, 13 Feb 2026 20:55:43 GMT

@BallBounces wrote:
@DoppelgangerD wrote:
@1lifeisworthit wrote:
I have the Synchrony Paypal Mastercard.
I don't have any plans to close it, find it easy to use and to pay.
But if Synchrony decides to close it on me for whatever reason, I'm fine with it. It is not a card I depend upon. Just makes it easy to buy things online from places such as Ebay.
I haven't had any issues with it, just that 99% of all my purchases at this point are @ 5% or more cashback, so 3% is useless to me.
That's the main reason.
Absolutely understood. Closing a synch card is never a "bad" idea, assuming all the utilization metrics etc are covered, which they are in your case.

On the other hand ... I think thay Paypal card is probably the best of their bunch. Yoy may have 5% category cards, but that 3% is nice as well. Plus, in my case, I already use Paypal in general and will continue to do so on some level, so it is nice to have an integrated card and integrated HYSA, despiute the slow updating associated with Synch. In short, I am keeping that card and do have a recurring bill that gets me 3% which is not available on my 5% cards right now.

Good points, and I definitely agree about how it's nice to have your PP account, a halfway decent rate HYSA, and the credit card all in one place and easily accessible.

I constantly use my PP account and HYSA, transferring back and forth and in and out as needed. Not to mention the epic 5% debit card.

Aside from quirky Synchrony stuff in general, they've built a very nice system there.

I did say 3% is useless to me, but not entirely.

I have two other cards that give me 3% with a much broader spectrum of purchases (including Paypal), so that's what makes it redundant for me personally.

They rarely get used that way, but they are there when I may need them.

One is the Amex BCE (but that'll get converted back to BCP soon) and the other is the Aven 3% on almost everything card.

I will say another reason for closing the PP MC credit card is, how it's impossible for any authorized users to use the card with Paypal (without them logging into your PP account).

The card can not be added to the PP account of any authored users.

I really don't even know how that's legal, but whatever. It's not something I'm willing to put anymore time into since I won't be using it much longer.