Should I close my credit card account(s)?

If you’re applying for a serious loan - home, car, or education - you don’t want to close any accounts within six months of filing the loan application. You want to have as much credit as possible when applying. That said, if you don’t feel like you have the self-control to have that credit card open and not use it on needless purchases, you should probably close it. Of course that means you’ll take a temporary credit score hit, but it’s worth it if it means you’re not wracking up more unnecessary debt!