How do I close empty credit card accounts?

Dec 022011
 

I have recently checked my credit report and I realized I had several credit card accounts which were unused for several years running with a zero balance for some time.

I would like to close them to resolve my accounts and improve my overall credit.

I have to admit that some of the credit companies are quite odd (not cititbank or MBNA) but smaller credit houses from obscure stores I once purchased something to earn the 10% off etc.

How do I go about contacting the credit card companies to close these empty accounts?

Charge-off (OC) Accounts- What Effect on Credit Score?

Mar 182011
 

So, now that I have most of my collection accounts deleted, I’m wondering about those OC accounts that show a zero balance b/c of charge-off. Is the effect that they have on my credit report even worth trying to send a GW letter to get them off of there? They are all at least four years old.

Question on Disputed Collection Account

Mar 052011
 

I had an unexpected collection account appear on my credit report.  Yes it was something I owed. I contacted the CA asked for a paid in full for removal, they stated they do not do that.  They also stated that if I dispute the item by saying “paid in full prior to collection”, that they wouldn’t respond to the inquiry from the credit bureaus.  I disputed all three TU, EQ, and EX.  So far I have received deletions from TU and EX, but nothing from Equifax.  Does it take Equifax longer.  When I pulled my credit Equifax is showing that its a collection account with a zero balance, but not removed.  It has NOT been 30 days yet, so am I jumping the gun.

 

Any help is appreciated.

 

Thanks.

 

So far my scores went from TU 570, EQ 541 to 3/4/11 TU 708 and EQ 633.

charge off valid?

Feb 192011
 

I purchased an auto in 03′ and had several legitimate lates durring the finance period. In 06′ I was really late like 120 days but soon after I sold my house and had used some of my profit to pay the entire loan off in one shot.  I received pay off letter and title from Honda but the CR account is listed as a Charge Off. Is there any way to revert this back to a zero balance with lates status..?

 

 

unsecured loan to pay off higher rate CC’s

Feb 012011
 

Hi all,

 

I have taken out a 48 month loan at 10 percent to pay off all my credit cards which have rates from 12-23 percent.   They payment on the loan is about half what I pay per month so I will plan on paying that extra money toward the loan amount….

 

I just wanted to get some feedback.. the plan is to pay off all the  cc’s with the loan.. I am hoping that will increase my scores… I have 5 cards…should I close a few accounts? I definitely want to close one that has an annual fee.  Should I use 2 to keep some credit going and show good payments / keep a low 5 percent balance  for CU purposes, or is a zero balance better?

 

Since this is a personal loan and I won’t have any cc debt…that will look better overall correct…

 

I think that covers my questions :)

 

Thank you!

Catherine :smileyhappy:

Have I done all I can do for now?

Jan 042011
 

I’ve posted bits and pieces of this a couple of times, but this time I have an entirely different question.

 

My current scores are in my siggy. This score is comprised of one BK (d/c), and several (lots of?) lates courtesy of good ole Sallie Mae. I own those. I can’t even lie and say I sent a payment, that they messed up some kind of way….I just…didn’t. I simply wasn’t smart about my credit a couple years back and made poor choices. EQ has me with 6 90 day lates back in Apr 07 (one late for each tradeline that I had until I consolidated). TU doesn’t report those, but has me with one 90 and one 120 back in Nov/Dec 06. Again, one for each tradeline. :(

 

I have no collection accounts, no charge offs, no lates other than those listed above, (I’m going to double check the reports I pulled from each site and make sure none of the accounts that were included in bankruptcy are reporting lates after 4/09 when I filed, but I don’t *think* they are), no medical accounts, and one credit card account that has gone to a zero balance since the last time it was reported to the bureaus. I’m also going to apply for a Public Savings Bank secured card next week because of the soft pull advantage they have. I’d prefer to go with a local credit union, but I can’t be convinced that they won’t hard pull. I suppose I could hard pull and lose the points to gain them back later, but I really don’t want to do that.

 

I guess….I’m feeling a little discouraged. I see all these success stories of people calling and writing and having items removed and increasing their scores, but I don’t think there’s anyone that I can call or write.

 

Have I done all that I can? If the consensus is yes maybe I just need to suck up my feelings and get back into the swing of things in about 6 months, when the second card has had time to report.

 

Thanks for any input, wisdom, et. al. I appreciate it. These past couple of years have been a costly lesson.

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