AAOA changes, how bad will it be?

[jwright343]

I've recently been approved for the Discover It and the Duck card, so excited!  These are the first CCs I've applied for in over 7 years.  I will be gaining these two cards w/ a $5000 CL each.  However, I'm now needing to close a PNC secured card I've had since post BK, opened in 06'.  This PNC card is currently my oldest card w/ 8 years on it.  It has an amazing $250 CL (wth!!!) AND charges me $3 monthly.  So as you can see, it is WORTHLESS to keep open.  So in review, I'm gaining $10,000 in credit, losing the $250.  I know this will only be positive for my score and utilization ratio.  But losing the 8 years and gaining 2 brand new cards is what I'm worrying about.  What kind of hit do you all think I'll take.  Will the increased utilization score offset the decreased AAOA?  If utilization score holds more weight, I 'assume' I shouldn't see much of a score drop.  Possibly even an increase?!?!  Again, thanks for all your advice.   

[Anonymous]

1.  Impossible to comment on utilization without knowing more details.  If your utilization is currently very low, then added CLs won't help it.

2.  There's no immediate AAoA hit from closing an account.  The hit occurs later.  For example, if you close an 8-year-old card, and it drops off your reports 10 years from now, then you'll lose 18 years of history at that point, and the decrease in AAoA will be 18/N, where N is the number of accounts you have then.

3.  Adding two new accounts will decrease your AAoA immediately, by a factor of (N / (N + 2)).  For example, if you currently have three cards, and add two, then your new AAoA will be 3/5 of the old AAoA.