Maintain the length of your credit history

Length of credit history accounts for 15 percent of a credit score. And when you close a credit card account, the account and its history will eventually disappear from your credit report. (This usually happens within 10 years of closing an account.) And once it's gone, it can no longer bolster your credit score. So resist the urge to clean up your credit file by closing credit card accounts. Keep them open and enjoy the benefits of all your years of being a credit customer.