@kdm31091 wrote:I don't get why people push keeping cards just to keep them in most cases. If your util is high and closing the cards would make that significantly worse, then fine, that's a reason to keep them. But if a card really, truly has no use for you, it's unlikely that it suddenly will. There's little point in keeping it.
Obviously OP should weigh the decision carefully especially with the Sallie since it is not available to reapply for, but it sounds like the grocery and gas spend is covered elsewhere, which is the same issue I had when I had a Sallie -- it just didn't do much for me. I think closing the cards OP mentioned is a totally reasonable idea.
Not eveyone is like you, I am not, I have 3% util on 2 cards with a total of 26 cards and I would never consider closing any of my major cards and I still want more major cards. Im not a store card hog either only 4 of the 26 are. I have cards that see the light of day for 2 charges a year just to keep them active and then go back into the filing cabinet. Dont try to equate everyone else to the way you think it should be and it will be a lot easier to get along with everyone else on this board and you wont be driving yourself nuts either.
I would still hang on to that Cap1 Platinum card. They will be bringing back the consolodation link by the end of the year or beginning of next year. That way, the closure of that card will at least go for something good (combining limits), rather than just closing it and losing out on the limit.
@gdale6 wrote:
@kdm31091 wrote:I don't get why people push keeping cards just to keep them in most cases. If your util is high and closing the cards would make that significantly worse, then fine, that's a reason to keep them. But if a card really, truly has no use for you, it's unlikely that it suddenly will. There's little point in keeping it.
Obviously OP should weigh the decision carefully especially with the Sallie since it is not available to reapply for, but it sounds like the grocery and gas spend is covered elsewhere, which is the same issue I had when I had a Sallie -- it just didn't do much for me. I think closing the cards OP mentioned is a totally reasonable idea.
Not eveyone is like you, I am not, I have 3% util on 2 cards with a total of 26 cards and I would never consider closing any of my major cards and I still want more major cards. Im not a store card hog either only 4 of the 26 are. I have cards that see the light of day for 2 charges a year just to keep them active and then go back into the filing cabinet. Dont try to equate everyone else to the way you think it should be and it will be a lot easier to get along with everyone else on this board and you wont be driving yourself nuts either.
I am not trying to make everyone agree with me -- just saying I don't personally understand why people keep cards for no reason. That's just my opinion. Nothing more, nothing less. However, your comments are noted. 
@Anonymous wrote:I've been thinking about thinning out the CC's of mine. After only having 2 major CC's for years that were maxed out and never applied for cards, after they were paid off I went crazy with opening new ones in 2015. I actually already did close a few of them that I know I didn't need, but still have too many. I have $119k total credit and 1% usage across all cards. Many of my cards have 0% APR intro offers. Those cards I am not touching, in fact looking ahead I think each year I will get a 0% APR intro offer card if available.
Right now I have a PayPal Extras card that is by far my highest APR card at 19.9% and a $5k CL. It was opened in April 2015. This is a card that is first on the chopping block. Will I do any damage to my credit score short- or long-term by closing this and reducing my total credit limit down to $114k and also less than a year from opening it? I have the PayPal Credit which is a $2k limit, and a hidden TL, so I have a great backup for any rare occasion I purchase something on eBay or need to PayPal some money for important things like $10 on my DraftKings
My other card I'm considering getting rid of, believe it or not, is my SM WMC. The perks for this card include gas purchases and grocery store purchases. I use my BJ's Perks MC for gas locally and get 10 cents off per gallon. My DW does the grocery shopping so this card really doesn't get much use, plus there's a lot of great unknowns about the SM right now. The APR on this card is 13.9% which isn't bad and I have a $9k limit on it. What I think I'm going to do is contact Barclay's and see if I can move that $9k over to the Ring, which is a 8% card with no real perks besides great APR. I've only had this card since July, so again less than one year.
Eliminating those two cards will put me down to 10 cards (including Lowes/HD cards). After my INQs from my app spree's i 2015 reach a year old (most in March and April), then I will consider an introductory 0% APR card. I keep getting PNC Bank offers for a 18 month 0% card and after that will be 11.9%. It's not a rewards card, but my QS and Discover are my two main reward ones.
I have a Capital One Platinum card that is my oldest TL opened in 2001. Many times I thought about consolidating that with my QS, but had to wait until the end of October for it to be 6 months old. Well, they have put a stop to consolidating for now. I've always wrestled with the idea that in 10 years that card would stop reporting and it would be a 30 year old card, and my other cards I acquired in 2015 would just be 10 years old and my AAoA would take a big hit. Of course, I'll be 65 years old in 10 years so does it really matter?
Other cards not getting much use are my AMEX Blue Cash and Chase Freedom, however they have 0% introductory APRs which means I'd keep them for a while longer anyway. They're mostly SD but probably going to use Chase Freedom for a Christmas purchase for DW that I can drag my feet on PIF since the 0% offer runs to July 2016.
Thoughts?
I feel you. but with the ring card you are doing ok. but I also think if no AF it is ok to keep them as long as possible. Don't let age play a factor into it. people buy houses everyday at age 65. no problem. since you already paid for these cards. i say keep em. but thats up to you of course. and ymmv
@gdale6 wrote:
@kdm31091 wrote:I don't get why people push keeping cards just to keep them in most cases. If your util is high and closing the cards would make that significantly worse, then fine, that's a reason to keep them. But if a card really, truly has no use for you, it's unlikely that it suddenly will. There's little point in keeping it.
Obviously OP should weigh the decision carefully especially with the Sallie since it is not available to reapply for, but it sounds like the grocery and gas spend is covered elsewhere, which is the same issue I had when I had a Sallie -- it just didn't do much for me. I think closing the cards OP mentioned is a totally reasonable idea.
Not eveyone is like you, I am not, I have 3% util on 2 cards with a total of 26 cards and I would never consider closing any of my major cards and I still want more major cards. Im not a store card hog either only 4 of the 26 are. I have cards that see the light of day for 2 charges a year just to keep them active and then go back into the filing cabinet. Dont try to equate everyone else to the way you think it should be and it will be a lot easier to get along with everyone else on this board and you wont be driving yourself nuts either.
Totally i agree. why i see why op wants to close. Im am in no way like that. I paid for the cards with Hp's so they will have to pry them out of my hand. usage or not. 
@kdm31091 wrote:
@gdale6 wrote:
@kdm31091 wrote:I don't get why people push keeping cards just to keep them in most cases. If your util is high and closing the cards would make that significantly worse, then fine, that's a reason to keep them. But if a card really, truly has no use for you, it's unlikely that it suddenly will. There's little point in keeping it.
Obviously OP should weigh the decision carefully especially with the Sallie since it is not available to reapply for, but it sounds like the grocery and gas spend is covered elsewhere, which is the same issue I had when I had a Sallie -- it just didn't do much for me. I think closing the cards OP mentioned is a totally reasonable idea.
Not eveyone is like you, I am not, I have 3% util on 2 cards with a total of 26 cards and I would never consider closing any of my major cards and I still want more major cards. Im not a store card hog either only 4 of the 26 are. I have cards that see the light of day for 2 charges a year just to keep them active and then go back into the filing cabinet. Dont try to equate everyone else to the way you think it should be and it will be a lot easier to get along with everyone else on this board and you wont be driving yourself nuts either.
I am not trying to make everyone agree with me -- just saying I don't personally understand why people keep cards for no reason. That's just my opinion. Nothing more, nothing less. However, your comments are noted.
It's stupid to close cards that have no af. Let the creditor close it for you.
I can open 15 new cards this year and my aaoa will barely change. Your thin file will never withstand that kind of abuse.