Hot take: My dad told me to pay off my oldest credit card first and I think he was wrong

My dad has been my go-to for credit tips since I turned 18, and he always told me to pay off my oldest card first to keep my average account age healthy. I followed that for two years but my score barely moved, stuck around 670. Then a friend in Denver who works at a credit union suggested I focus on the card with the highest utilization instead, which was a store card with a $500 limit that I had $400 on. I paid that off in two months and my score jumped 45 points. Now I'm questioning if his advice is just outdated or if it depends on your specific debt mix. What's your take on which balance to target first?

3 comments

3 Comments

emma_jones21d ago

Oh man, I had the exact same thing happen! I was so focused on keeping my oldest card alive but realized my score actually started moving once I tackled the high balance cards first. That utilization thing is no joke, it really makes a bigger difference than I thought.

hannahj4921d ago

Think your dad was talking about long-term aging, not your immediate score boost.

the_drew21d ago

Yeah you're probably right about that. I had this same talk with my old man and realized he meant the cards you play long term eventually catch up to you. Just keep paying on time and don't stress the short term stuff, it'll sort itself out.