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I recently found out that a friend of mine has 14 credit cards, plus six more that she didn’t realize were closed.
She also has a FICO® Score of 850 — the highest possible score, attained by only 1.8% of Americans, according to Experian — and she’s not even 40 yet. In fact, the first time her score hit the 850 mark, she was still under 35.
How does she have such a sparkling credit history? The answers might make you rethink everything you’ve been told about credit scores.
What my friend has done “wrong”
When my friend — let’s call her Amy — told me her history with credit cards, my jaw dropped.
1. She’s opened nine store cards just to get discounts
Store cards are generally seen as a trap. They lure you in with instant savings, but their APRs are often absurdly high, and they don’t earn cash back anywhere else.
Nonetheless, when a cashier asks Amy if she’d like to save 30% today, she apparently says “yes” nearly every time.
That’s how she ended up with cards from places like JCPenney, Kohl’s, PacSun (seriously), and H.H. Gregg (RIP).
2. She doesn’t keep tabs on many of her cards
Amy has 20 physical credit cards. When I asked her how many were still open, she could only guess. It turns out the answer is 14.
Any expert will tell you that it’s risky to have credit cards that you don’t keep track of. Although credit card companies are pretty good at spotting fraud, there’s still a chance that someone could steal your info and rack up charges without your knowledge.
3. She makes no effort to keep old accounts open
After scoring a quick discount, Amy rarely uses her store cards again. Some have been inactive for years.
Inactive accounts may be closed, which eventually brings down the average age of your accounts. That’s bad for your credit score.
Why none of that matters
Amy didn’t achieve a perfect credit score through dumb luck. In fact, she’s quite financially savvy.
1. She started young
Amy got her first card at age 18. The Kohl’s card she opened in 2008 is still open, so her credit history is long.
2. She pays her bills on time
Almost nothing will tank your credit score faster than missing a credit card payment. Amy admits she may have paid a couple of days late once or twice over the years. However, she has never been 30+ days late — and that’s when the credit bureaus hear about it.
3. She pays off her balance every month
Amy doesn’t spend more than she can repay, and she pays her bills in full. As a result, her credit utilization ratio is always near 0%. And that’s where you want to be.
4. She’s equally responsible with other types of debt
A mix of debts can be good for your credit score if you manage them well.
Amy has paid off a mortgage and multiple auto loans. She now has an active mortgage and auto loan, both in good standing.
5. She uses great credit cards for everyday spending
Amy may have some questionable credit cards, but her daily spenders pay her back with every purchase.
- Her Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card earns 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠ and 3X points on dining.
- Her Chase Freedom Flex® card earns 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter after activation.
- Her Prime Visa card earns 5% cash rewards on Amazon purchases.
- She uses her Target Circle™ Card exclusively at Target, where it saves her 5%.
- For everything else, her Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card earns a flat 1.5%.
So she’s racking up a ton of rewards, and it’s easy for her to stay on top of her bills, because she pays most of them through Chase.
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Moral of the story: sweat the big stuff, not the small stuff
I used to associate a wallet full of store credit cards with a life in disarray. Amy taught me otherwise.
Sure, she breaks some of the traditional rules of credit card usage. And no, it’s not necessarily good to open a credit card for a one-time discount and then forget about it.
But at the end of the day, Amy is extremely responsible with her money, and that’s what matters most.
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