ggodoi

CLOSING CREDIT CARDS
THE FACTS
Closing a CC (credit cards) does not lower your FICO scores in and of itself. When deciding to close a CC there is two important things to consider. In the short-term, closing a CC can have an adverse affect on your UTIL percentage calculations and this in itself can definitely lower your scores. In the long-term, a closed CC in good standing (nothing derogatory reporting) with a $0 balance will generally be deleted from your CRs (credit reports) after 10 years. Once this account is deleted, you lose the history and age and this might lower your scores.
SHORT-TERM
The most important factor to consider when closing CCs is the affect on your cumulative UTIL percentage calculation; this is the total sum of all of your CCs CLs (credit card limits) divided by the sum of their balances.
Utilization Percentages
To fully understand what Utilization percentages are, you must understand FICO scoring has two types of util percentage calculations, one that looks at the extent of utilization on individual revolving accounts (i.e. CCs, overdraft protection and sometimes Helocs) and the other is cumulative and looks at the extent of utilization on all of your revolving accounts.
Example
Card 1: CL 5K, balance 1,000 = 20 percent util
Card 2: CL 3K, balance 800 = 27 percent util
Card 3: CL 2K, balance 1,000 = 50 percent util
The total CL (credit limit) is 10,000 and the total balance is 2,800, so the cumulative UTIL is 28%. Not bad but not ideal.
Let's see what happens if you close one of them.
Close Card 1# and pay off the balance:
Total available credit decreases from 10K to 5K
Cumulative Utilization: 5K CL, balance 1.8K = 36 percent
YIKESGetting worse!
Closed and opened CC TLs are weighed and scored equally by FICO. You will not be punished by simply closing a CC as long as it is in good standing, has a $0 balance and your cumulative Util remains at 1-9 percent. Increasing the CLs (credit limits) on the cards you plan to keep open before you close the card(s) you don't want might be helpful as this too helps to keep your Util percentage low.
Also open and closed accounts age the same. Closing a CC has no affect on average age of accounts or credit history length.
Tidbits (this section is courtesy of moderator, Lel)
- If a closed CC account with a balance continues to report the original credit limit, then both the balance and the CL of the closed account will be used in the utilization calculations.
- If a closed CC account is reporting a zero CL, even if there is a balance on the CC, the card will not be included in the calculations.
- If a closed CC account is reporting a non-zero CL but has a zero balance, the card will not be included in the calculations.
- If a closed account reports a CL that is equal to the balance (balance chasing), then this will be included in the calculations. This is the worst-case scenario with regard to utilization.
LONG-TERM
In the long-term, closing a CC in good standing with a $0 balance will generally be deleted from your CR after 10 years. Once this account is deleted, if your length of credit history and/or average age of accounts decreases in the number of years, your scores might drop.
FINAL NOTES
In the short-term, there should be no adverse affect to your FICO scores, average age of accounts, or the length of your credit history, provided there is no increase in your util% calculations after you close any CC(s). In the long-term, a CC in good standing (nothing derogatory reporting) with a $0 balance will generally be deleted from your CRs (credit reports) after 10 years. Once this account is deleted, you lose the history and age of this TL and this might lower your scores.

CLOSING CREDIT CARDS
THE FACTS
Closing a CC (credit cards) does not lower your FICO scores in and of itself. When deciding to close a CC there is two important things to consider. In the short-term, closing a CC can have an adverse affect on your UTIL percentage calculations and this in itself can definitely lower your scores. In the long-term, a closed CC in good standing (nothing derogatory reporting) with a $0 balance will generally be deleted from your CRs (credit reports) after 10 years. Once this account is deleted, you lose the history and age and this might lower your scores.
SHORT-TERM
The most important factor to consider when closing CCs is the affect on your cumulative UTIL percentage calculation; this is the total sum of all of your CCs CLs (credit card limits) divided by the sum of their balances.
Utilization Percentages
To fully understand what Utilization percentages are, you must understand FICO scoring has two types of util percentage calculations, one that looks at the extent of utilization on individual revolving accounts (i.e. CCs, overdraft protection and sometimes Helocs) and the other is cumulative and looks at the extent of utilization on all of your revolving accounts.
Example
Card 1: CL 5K, balance 1,000 = 20 percent util
Card 2: CL 3K, balance 800 = 27 percent util
Card 3: CL 2K, balance 1,000 = 50 percent util
The total CL (credit limit) is 10,000 and the total balance is 2,800, so the cumulative UTIL is 28%. Not bad but not ideal.
Let's see what happens if you close one of them.
Close Card 1# and pay off the balance:
Total available credit decreases from 10K to 5K
Cumulative Utilization: 5K CL, balance 1.8K = 36 percent
YIKESGetting worse!
Closed and opened CC TLs are weighed and scored equally by FICO. You will not be punished by simply closing a CC as long as it is in good standing, has a $0 balance and your cumulative Util remains at 1-9 percent. Increasing the CLs (credit limits) on the cards you plan to keep open before you close the card(s) you don't want might be helpful as this too helps to keep your Util percentage low.
Also open and closed accounts age the same. Closing a CC has no affect on average age of accounts or credit history length.
Tidbits (this section is courtesy of moderator, Lel)
- If a closed CC account with a balance continues to report the original credit limit, then both the balance and the CL of the closed account will be used in the utilization calculations.
- If a closed CC account is reporting a zero CL, even if there is a balance on the CC, the card will not be included in the calculations.
- If a closed CC account is reporting a non-zero CL but has a zero balance, the card will not be included in the calculations.
- If a closed account reports a CL that is equal to the balance (balance chasing), then this will be included in the calculations. This is the worst-case scenario with regard to utilization.
LONG-TERM
In the long-term, closing a CC in good standing with a $0 balance will generally be deleted from your CR after 10 years. Once this account is deleted, if your length of credit history and/or average age of accounts decreases in the number of years, your scores might drop.
FINAL NOTES
In the short-term, there should be no adverse affect to your FICO scores, average age of accounts, or the length of your credit history, provided there is no increase in your util% calculations after you close any CC(s). In the long-term, a CC in good standing (nothing derogatory reporting) with a $0 balance will generally be deleted from your CRs (credit reports) after 10 years. Once this account is deleted, you lose the history and age of this TL and this might lower your scores.

CLOSING CREDIT CARDS
THE FACTS
Closing a CC (credit cards) does not lower your FICO scores in and of itself. When deciding to close a CC there is two important things to consider. In the short-term, closing a CC can have an adverse affect on your UTIL percentage calculations and this in itself can definitely lower your scores. In the long-term, a closed CC in good standing (nothing derogatory reporting) with a $0 balance will generally be deleted from your CRs (credit reports) after 10 years. Once this account is deleted, you lose the history and age and this might lower your scores.
SHORT-TERM
The most important factor to consider when closing CCs is the affect on your cumulative UTIL percentage calculation; this is the total sum of all of your CCs CLs (credit card limits) divided by the sum of their balances.
Utilization Percentages
To fully understand what Utilization percentages are, you must understand FICO scoring has two types of util percentage calculations, one that looks at the extent of utilization on individual revolving accounts (i.e. CCs, overdraft protection and sometimes Helocs) and the other is cumulative and looks at the extent of utilization on all of your revolving accounts.
Example
Card 1: CL 5K, balance 1,000 = 20 percent util
Card 2: CL 3K, balance 800 = 27 percent util
Card 3: CL 2K, balance 1,000 = 50 percent util
The total CL (credit limit) is 10,000 and the total balance is 2,800, so the cumulative UTIL is 28%. Not bad but not ideal.
Let's see what happens if you close one of them.
Close Card 1# and pay off the balance:
Total available credit decreases from 10K to 5K
Cumulative Utilization: 5K CL, balance 1.8K = 36 percent
YIKESGetting worse!
Closed and opened CC TLs are weighed and scored equally by FICO. You will not be punished by simply closing a CC as long as it is in good standing, has a $0 balance and your cumulative Util remains at 1-9 percent. Increasing the CLs (credit limits) on the cards you plan to keep open before you close the card(s) you don't want might be helpful as this too helps to keep your Util percentage low.
Also open and closed accounts age the same. Closing a CC has no affect on average age of accounts or credit history length.
Tidbits (this section is courtesy of moderator, Lel)
- If a closed CC account with a balance continues to report the original credit limit, then both the balance and the CL of the closed account will be used in the utilization calculations.
- If a closed CC account is reporting a zero CL, even if there is a balance on the CC, the card will not be included in the calculations.
- If a closed CC account is reporting a non-zero CL but has a zero balance, the card will not be included in the calculations.
- If a closed account reports a CL that is equal to the balance (balance chasing), then this will be included in the calculations. This is the worst-case scenario with regard to utilization.
LONG-TERM
In the long-term, closing a CC in good standing with a $0 balance will generally be deleted from your CR after 10 years. Once this account is deleted, if your length of credit history and/or average age of accounts decreases in the number of years, your scores might drop.
FINAL NOTES
In the short-term, there should be no adverse affect to your FICO scores, average age of accounts, or the length of your credit history, provided there is no increase in your util% calculations after you close any CC(s). In the long-term, a CC in good standing (nothing derogatory reporting) with a $0 balance will generally be deleted from your CRs (credit reports) after 10 years. Once this account is deleted, you lose the history and age of this TL and this might lower your scores.

Closing an account does not hurt your score like you are saying, it stays on the report for many years. If somebody has subprime cards with high annual fees that they dnt use anymore they can close it without fears.
Also you say that if you dnt use a credit card you are hurting your score, where did you read that ? That is wrong information.
Myfico.com is a great website to learn about credit in general, in their homepage to the top right corner click connect with the community, that is their forum. Anybody wanting to learn about credit in depth should pay them a visit.

1. What do you think about it?
2. No one can give you a firm answer until you receive an approval or denial.
*** Thread moved from AOS/Family-Based main forum to the "AOS from WS&T Visas" Case Progress subforum. ***

Nick, you are in the February 2015 Filing group sub-forum.
Why don't you post your updates there?

Correct, they wana see your ability to handle credit and pay on time. How much money you have dnt matter. I pay EVERYTHING with a credit card (even my apartment rent) and pay it all back before statement cuts. I have many cards that give me miles and cash back so as long as I am not carrying a balance from month to month ( which would lead to be charged interest ) it is a win win when you use credit card. Quoting what you said " you should buy on credit to improve credit" that's not necessarily right, using credit dnt improve the score, there are many factors that influence the score like length of account history, payments on time, credit mix (revolving credit, mortgage, car loan, personal loan) all this things have different affects on the score.
I already posted but I will say it one more time, lol GO TO http://ficoforums.myfico.com/?cm_sp=mobile-_-bottom-_-community
Finding myfico.com 3 years ago was one of the best things that happened to me.

http://ficoforums.myfico.com/?cm_sp=mobile-_-bottom-_-community
Here is the link to Myfico.com forum.

Ppl gave a lot of good tips but also some don't know what they are talking about. Go to myfico.com and read their forum section. It's like reading VJ forum lots of good information there. You will learn everything you need to know, which lenders are easy to get approved with low and no score at all, which cards are better and how to use them to efficiently increase your score.
Some people here said that adding to a phone bill and paying on time helps, I personally doubt that because phone companies and any other utility company don't report to the bureaus.
There is so much to learn about credit and in VJ you won't learn 1% of it. Go to myfico.com and read their forum like you do here.

Correct, they wana see your ability to handle credit and pay on time. How much money you have dnt matter. I pay EVERYTHING with a credit card (even my apartment rent) and pay it all back before statement cuts. I have many cards that give me miles and cash back so as long as I am not carrying a balance from month to month ( which would lead to be charged interest ) it is a win win when you use credit card. Quoting what you said " you should buy on credit to improve credit" that's not necessarily right, using credit dnt improve the score, there are many factors that influence the score like length of account history, payments on time, credit mix (revolving credit, mortgage, car loan, personal loan) all this things have different affects on the score.
I already posted but I will say it one more time, lol GO TO http://ficoforums.myfico.com/?cm_sp=mobile-_-bottom-_-community
Finding myfico.com 3 years ago was one of the best things that happened to me.

OMG, just checked my cases not even hoping for any good news and had a nice surprise that my EAD was approved today and card is in production. I'm almost crying right now and can't believe it's finally happening, cuz I've been sitting home for almost 7 month now since my visa has expired. So happy
Today is a day 73 from the date on my NOA1 for I-765 and I did count the date as day 1.

Dude.
Get marry whenever. (Before or after getting your US citizenship.)
Get your US citizenship next month.
File to adjust her status as your wife AFTER you become a USC.
It's legal for a USC to file for a green card for his wife when she is in the US on another visa.

Hello,everyone! I am new here ,but already have moved half way with AOS. Today i got an update on my EAD : On May 16, 2015, we ordered your new card for Receipt Number MSC*********, and will mail it to the address you gave us. If you move, go towww.uscis.gov/addresschange to give us your new mailing address.
I filed for AOS, on February 28th, with first NOA1 dated March 2nd, so they approved my EAD on 76th day from NOA1. So everyone filed around this dates should be getting their EAD soon. Good luck everyone.

I have heard of many ways ppl get in the US illegally and some cost 20k + they would have to set the bond really high making it unpracticable