As stated after reading some other threads I realized I could possibly extend my AAoA if I re-opened a couple of store cards. I had a Lord & Taylor card from 2004 paid never late closed in april of 2011 due to inactivity and a JCPenny card from 9/94 same thing closed 8/04. I have read people bringing accounts back to life and them reporting original open date on the account. Does anyone know if GECRB would do this for Lord & Taylor and JC Penny?
Current Score: EX 712 4/28/15, TU 713 4/14/14 lender pull, EQ 723 9/16/15, 740 EQ bankcard 8 6/1/15 lender pull
I am not sure if you can bring them back I have also seen some re-opening closed accts. But when you close an acct they say that you may not re-open the acct but are more than welcome to re-apply. Maybe somebody esle has had success.
Discover IT $2,600- First Premier MasterCard $1,000- Dillards Store Card $300- Fingerhut Advantage $200
If the accounts are still on your reports they are arleady helping your AAoA since FICO considers both open and closed accounts in scoring. The JCP will likely fall off next year if it hasn't already and your AAoA may drop further.
Typically you'd be invited to reapply for the card, which would defeat the purpose.
JC Penny phone rep was no help. Lord & Taylor system recognized my home number and played automated account info and said balance $0 last payment ... account was closed due to inactivity. So i went to the website and still let me log in. made me answer security questions because it did not recognize my computer address but let me in and I sent a message via statement message center to inquire on account re-activation.
Yes, Basically the service rep just told me to re-app for JCP and would be totally new account would not tie in with account dating back to 1994 
. And account age 0.
This is what got me thinking:
JCP won't let you reopen an old account. You will have to reopen a new account; however, you can often talk to a credit analyst at GE to have the old account history "merged" with the new account. I'm not sure exactly how it works, or if every CSR/analyst knows how to do it. I've only had one customer actually be interested in it after I recommended she try to ask while she was on the phone answering security questions! I'm pretty sure the analyst confirmed she could do it, but whether or not it actually worked, I'm not sure.
Make sure if and when you reopen the account to have some spending to do. Going through the whole process of this potential "backdating" is only beneficial if you utilize the coupons 
Just got off the phone with the GECRB/Lord & Taylor credit specialist and she said no way to merge account history just brand new account with 0 age.
Looks like Dell Financial is the last shot at this till i can qualify for AMEX
