Credit simulator

So credit karma is a credit score simulator. It's cute and all, but I'm trying to figure out what would happen to my score if I closed one of my credit cards, and that doesn't appear to be an option.

Are there any sites or apps or programs that could simulate that?

I've had a secured card for 6+ years through my credit union. They won't let me turn it into a real credit card because it's only my name on the account and my job is housewife. So berkeley it, I'd rather just close the account, but I want to see how much of a hit it might be to my score first. 

I can't answer your question directly, but I had a card closed due to lack of use and my score was dinged for something like 30 points.  It came back over time, though. 

Depends on how much it lowers your total available credit limit by. Being a secured card, I assume it probably wasn't a super high credit limit. Big difference between closing a $1,000 CL card and a $10,000 one. 

stroker said:

I can't answer your question directly, but I had a card closed due to lack of use and my score was dinged for something like 30 points.  It came back over time, though. 

 

+1  We closed out our card after 2-3 years of inactivity and lost 40 points.

I did get a notice the other day about my credit score being "the highest ever" when it was still 20 points higher 6 months ago. 

Try myFico

Are you planing on getting a loan in the next few months? Credit score only means something at that point.  Closing a secured card will not affect it much as they do not rate high in the algorithm

Closing a card lowers your overall credit available and therefore drops your score.    Diabolical, don't you think?    (It happened to me).   

The fluctuations are frustrating.   Once I missed paying a balance of something like $3.00 on a card.  This was during my divorce while my ex an I were sorting out things.  I think I was two weeks late.  On $3.00.     It dropped my score 50 points for months.   On the other hand I recently paid off several loans and my score is going up weekly,

In reply to Steve_Jones :

By the end of the summer, I need to get a credit card with a good balance transfer rate, Lowes card is 30% berkeley that noise, and we may be taking on a car payment. 

I'm more concerned about the 6 years of history on the card than the $500 limit, I've got like $30k in available credit right now, so it's not going to be a major effect as far as available to used credit. Just trying to sort through the credit system voodoo.

Most "credit experts" say a 30% credit use age is ideal.  Older accounts are better.  Inquiries are bad.  Late payments are bad.  Collections are bad.  So ideally you have old accounts with really high balances that you don't use much of.  My credit score peaked about 4 years after getting a new house, no new inquiries in that time and about 15% useage.  I bought a new house and news cars last year and it's down due to new accounts and useage is  about 25% now.

If I don't use a high balance card for about 12-24 months I almost always get a 12 month 0% offer.  I transfer any balances to that card.