People close old accounts all the time without realizing what they just destroyed.
That aged account is doing more heavy lifting than you think. It anchors your average age of credit, strengthens your profile depth, and signals stability to every lender reviewing you.
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Never close your oldest revolving account, even if you don't use it
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Put one small recurring charge on it so it stays active and reports monthly
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A 10-year-old account with $0 balance is more powerful than a 6-month-old account with a high limit
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Lenders see tenure as trust. Short history = unknown risk
๐ Building credit isn't just about adding new accounts. It's about protecting the ones already working for you.
Age is the one thing you can't shortcut. Guard it.