"Also, I found that keeping older credit cards open—even if rarely used—helped maintain a longer credit history, which lenders seemed to like."
This is spot-on. I almost closed an old card a while back because I never used it, but my lender actually advised against it. Said it could shorten my credit history and ding my score temporarily. Another thing I've wondered about is credit limit increases—does requesting one occasionally help your utilization ratio enough to make a noticeable difference, or is it too risky to mess with...?
I've actually heard mixed things about requesting credit limit increases. Sure, it can help your utilization ratio, but some lenders do a hard pull when you ask, which might temporarily ding your score. Personally, I'd rather just keep balances low and avoid the hassle...
I get where you're coming from, but honestly, requesting a credit limit increase isn't always a hassle. Here's how I did it without much drama: first, I checked with my lender if they'd do a hard pull or just a soft inquiry (mine was soft, thankfully). Then I made sure my balances were already low before asking—seemed to help my odds. Took maybe 5 minutes online, and boom, higher limit and better utilization ratio. Worth checking out at least once...just don't go crazy spending afterward, haha.
