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If you’ve been thinking about canceling one of your credit cards, you may have heard that you should keep it open.

If so, you might be wondering, “Why? Is it bad to cancel a credit card?”

The answer, as with most finance-related matters, is that it depends on your specific situation, including the reasons you’re thinking about closing that card.

Perhaps, for example, your credit card company has changed its terms in a way that’s not acceptable to you, or you just want to simplify your finances by having fewer credit cards in your name.

“Can I cancel a credit card?” is, of course, different from “Should I cancel a credit card?” Keep reading to find out the difference between the two, some pros and cons, and other considerations.

Note that this is just an overview of common tips, questions, and hypotheticals. Only you can decide for yourself what makes the most sense for your unique financial situation.

Times When You Might Consider Canceling

If a credit card is costing you money, maybe because of annual fees, then you might be thinking about closing that card, especially if you don’t really use it. Before you do, it’s possible to the credit card company to see if the fees can be waived. There is no guarantee that the answer will be yes, but it doesn’t hurt to ask.

Maybe you find yourself putting impulse purchases on this card and you can’t pay the balance off in full at the end of the month. Then you may decide to cancel the card to get your debt under control.

Or you may learn about a card that offers great rewards you could benefit from, whether that’s cash back, loyalty points, frequent flyer miles, or something else.

So you might decide that a reward credit card would be better suited for your needs and you’re thinking about closing your current card and using this one instead.

That may be the right choice for you. Note, though, that reward cards typically have a high annual percentage rate (APR), so if you don’t pay your balance off in full each month, this may not be the best fit.

Here’s another scenario. Let’s say that your credit card has a high interest rate. Does it make sense to shop around for a better one and transfer the balances? What about applying for a zero interest credit card?

More About Zero Interest Credit Cards

You’ve probably seen offers for no interest credit cards and may think that you should apply for one and transfer your balance from a high interest credit card to this one. And, in certain circumstances, that may make sense for you.

If, for example, the new credit card would give you a six-month introductory window to pay off your balance or at least significantly pay it down at zero interest, you might end up saving a nice amount of money on interest.

On the other hand, the interest rate will go up after the introductory period—and it’s possible that it would be higher than your current credit card. So be mindful about this process and investigate the specifics before transferring your balances.

There are other potential problems. Sometimes, if you don’t pay the entire balance off during the introductory period, the company collects interest on the entire principal, even if your remaining balance is close to zero. So, in this case, nothing was really free about this credit card, and it may end up costing you more money in interest.

In addition, sometimes there are fees attached to the transfer. When that’s the case, typical fees might be about 3% of the balances you’re transferring, with some as high as 5%—and, if the zero interest credit card you’re considering has fees of 5%, that’s $500 on a $10,000 balance!

Circling back to the main issue, if you decide to transfer your balances to a no interest credit card, should you cancel your old one?

If you keep both the old card and the new one, and end up using both of them, you may end up in more debt than if you hadn’t done the transfer in the first place. There is no one right strategy to take, so it’s important to create a plan that works for you.

So, can you cancel a credit card? Of course you can. But, the more important question may be whether you should—and to help you make your decision, here are some common reasons you might not want to cancel that card.

Before You Cancel

Having debt and managing it responsibility—including credit card debt—can be seen as a plus by creditors. And if you cancel a credit card, under certain circumstances, it can have a negative impact on your credit.

Is your credit utilization rate under 30%? That can show lenders you can use credit responsibly. A credit utilization rate is the percentage of available credit you’re currently using—so if you cancel a credit card, the amount of credit you have available to you will go down by the amount of the unused credit on that card.

For example, a credit card with a credit limit of $10,000 and a $2,000 balance on it, then there’s $8,000 of available credit on that card. Cancel that card and that $8,000 available credit vanishes, which causes overall credit utilization rate to go up.

Another factor in your overall credit score is the average age of accounts. If you cancel an older card in your name, this can lower the average age of your accounts, though even closed accounts remain on your credit report for seven to 10 years.

•   If you do decide to cancel a card, good rules of thumb include:

•   Before canceling a card, continue to make payments on time until the balance is paid in full.

•   Check credit scores afterward to make sure no errors occurred.

•   Avoid closing several of them at once, because this could look suspicious to creditors.

Contact the company to find out exactly what needs to be done to close the account. Simply cutting up your card isn’t actually closing it. If there is an annual fee associated with the card, you could still be charged that amount.

Using the Credit Cards You Keep Open

If you decide to keep all or some of your credit cards open, these ideas could provide guidance on their use.

Once your credit-worthiness is established, you might start receiving credit card offers. Maybe a whole lot of them. And when you go into a store, you might be asked if you’d like to apply for one of their credit cards—and they might offer you discounts and other perks to say yes.

Each time you apply for a credit card, however, it can trigger a credit inquiry that’s called a “hard pull” or “hard credit inquiry.” If this happens too often in a short amount of time, it could affect your credit score.

Does a credit card offer cash advances? If so, you might want to check the APR you’d pay if you’re considering a cash advance. It’s likely to be several points higher than paying for a specific purchase with the card. If you use your credit card at an ATM, you may also need to pay a fee, so it’s often better to use a debit card or write a check when you need cash.

Another option is to contact your credit card company and ask for a better interest rate/APR. A 2018 poll for CreditCards.com showed that 56% of the people who asked got a thumbs up to their request. And 70% of those who asked to have their annual fee waived or lowered got a positive response.

Managing Credit Card Debt

Perhaps you’re trying to determine how much credit card debt is too much for you. If so, then having the ability to make the minimum payment each month typically isn’t the best benchmark, because paying only the minimum can cause your debt to grow because of compounding interest.

It can make sense to use the concept of credit card utilization to determine if you’re being smart with your credit card management.

As another check, you could calculate your debt-to-income ratio, especially if most of your debt is credit card debt. If it’s higher than you’d like, this may mean it’s time to take action on your credit card debt.

Your debt-to-income ratio shows how much of your pretax income goes toward paying monthly debt—and when it’s high, some lenders might be reluctant to lend to you or may charge a higher interest rate. They might decline to lend you any money at all.

If you decide that it’s time to pay off your credit card debt, there are many methods and strategies out there, including the snowball method. Steps include the following:

•   Choose the account with the smallest outstanding balance to pay off first.
•   On other accounts, pay the minimum amount due to avoid late fees.
•   With your targeted account, pay as much as possible with the goal being to pay it off as soon as you can.

Once that account is paid off, select the next account with the lowest balance and repeat the process, but add the amount you were paying on the initial balance (thus, the snowball).

This can be an effective method of paying off credit card debt because it builds momentum and creates incremental financial victories, but it doesn’t address interest rates. So it’s important to factor in higher-interest debts before embarking on a strategy like this one.

Whether you choose to use the snowball method or another strategy to manage and pay down debt, at the heart of it all is effective budget tracking.

Tracking what you spend could help you decipher where you’re overspending—and, with today’s virtually frictionless spending, that’s easy to do. Sometimes, people who start to track their spending for the first time discover they’re actually spending hundreds of dollars more in certain categories than they realized.

Until you have financial benchmarks to monitor, it can be hard to make meaningful changes in your spending and saving habits. With accurate tracking, though, you may find yourself feeling inspired to eliminate some expenses (perhaps unused online subscriptions) and reduce others (maybe your cell phone bill).

Although this might initially feel tedious, it could give you the freedom to spend your money on what really matters to you.

Taking Out a Personal Loan

Another option to help crush your credit card debt could be an unsecured personal loan. Taking out a credit card consolidation loan could help consolidate your debt and get it back under control.

Disclaimer: Many factors affect your credit scores and the interest rates you may receive. SoFi is not a Credit Repair Organization as defined under federal or state law, including the Credit Repair Organizations Act. SoFi does not provide “credit repair” services or advice or assistance regarding “rebuilding” or “improving” your credit record, credit history, or credit rating. For details, see the FTC’s website .

Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

External Websites: The information and analysis provided through hyperlinks to third-party websites, while believed to be accurate, cannot be guaranteed by SoFi. Links are provided for informational purposes and should not be viewed as an endorsement.

SoFi Loan Products
SoFi loans are originated by SoFi Bank, N.A., NMLS #696891 (Member FDIC). For additional product-specific legal and licensing information, see SoFi.com/legal. Equal Housing Lender.

SOPL19075

There’s nothing quite like the feeling of having your credit card balance paid in full. It’s like a breath of fresh air, a surge of pride, and a huge sigh of relief all rolled into one. But Americans have an on-going love affair with plastic.

Collectively we hold more than $1 trillion in credit card debt. When it comes to getting rid of credit card debt, baby steps can lead to big victories—even the possibility of getting those credit cards paid off in 2020.

To be clear, we’re not talking about being completely debt-free in 2020. Depending on how much you owe on all your debt in total, that could be a longer journey. But targeting your credit card debt can be a smart first-step since credit card debt can sometimes come with a high interest rate.

We’ve put together eight common strategies for how to get rid of credit card debt. But first, you’ll need to get your head in the game. Unless you suddenly receive an inheritance or win the powerball, unloading debt can be challenging.

If you truly want to try and eliminate credit card debt in the new year, it’s going to require a lot of budgeting, discipline, and will-power. You’ll likely have to make sacrifices and compromises. But if you can keep your eye on the prize, next year you could be looking at a nice, round zero.

1. Limit Your Use of Credit

No strategy for how to crush credit card debt is going to work if you continue to rely heavily on your credit cards. Pick one card to keep—ideally, one with good terms, like a low interest rate or a great rewards program —and put the rest away.

You can store them in a safe place or even cut them up so you’re not tempted to use them. If the card doesn’t carry a large annual fee, consider not canceling your credit card account, since losing that cards credit history or percentage of credit utilization could possibly have an affect on your credit score.

2. Take a Hard Look at Your Spending

Go through last month’s bank and credit card statements and add up all the money you spent eating out, or shopping for non-essentials. You may be surprised at what you find.

Review your spending closely and see if there is any room for you to cut back on unnecessary expenses. Then, create a budget that’s completely within your means.

The goal is to cut back on your discretionary spending so you can focus additional funds on paying off your credit card debt. Take a look at our tips for creating a better budget. Building a workable budget is one of the first steps in tackling your debt.

3. Create a Debt-Repayment Strategy and Stick to It

There are a few different schools of thought when it comes to eliminating your credit card debt, especially if you have debt spread over multiple credit cards. Regardless of the strategy you choose, make the minimum monthly payments on all of your debts.

One strategy is called the debt avalanche method. Using this method you’ll organize your credit card debt from highest interest rate to lowest interest rate.

Focus your efforts on repaying the debt with the highest interest rate first. Then as you pay off each credit card, you can contribute the money you were contributing to the next debt.

On average, Americans will pay more than $1,000 in interest this year, so tackling the highest interest rate first could be appealing. You can use our credit card interest calculator to see an estimate of how much interest you’ll accrue on your current track.

The other approach suggests you focus on the credit card with the smallest balance first. This is called the debt snowball method. The goal of this strategy is to encourage you to continue your debt repayments. Since you start with the smallest balance, you’ll start seeing the impact of your payments faster.

6. Transfer to a Balance Transfer Credit Card

This could help you toward your goal of eliminating your credit card debt but in order to do so it will require diligence to avoid common pitfalls.

A balance transfer credit card allows you to open a new low-interest or interest-free credit card and transfer your existing balance from a high-interest credit card, so you can pay off the debt. In theory, paying off the debt should be easier without a high APR.

The introductory APR on low or 0% transfers generally lasts anywhere from six to 18-months, so be sure you understand the terms and conditions. These can be a useful tool if you can repay your debt during the introductory period.

7. Consolidate Your Debt with a Personal Loan

A personal loan won’t eliminate your debt, but it could help you get out of the high-interest credit card game. Instead of a revolving door of debt, you can opt to pay one monthly fixed payment, possibly at a lower interest rate.

8. Pay More than You Owe, More Often than You Owe It

As you work toward paying your credit card debt, consider making more than the monthly minimum payments. This can help you pay off your debt faster and in doing so, could help you reduce the amount of money you spend in interest over the life of the debt. This can be helpful in both the avalanche and snowball methods of debt repayment.

Ready to see how consolidating your credit card debt with a personal loan could help you take control of your finances? SoFi can help. Use our personal loan calculator to compare your current debts with a personal loan.

When you take out a loan with SoFi there are no prepayment penalties or origination fees. You’ll also gain access to a community of like-minded savers.

External Websites: The information and analysis provided through hyperlinks to third-party websites, while believed to be accurate, cannot be guaranteed by SoFi. Links are provided for informational purposes and should not be viewed as an endorsement.

Disclaimer: Many factors affect your credit scores and the interest rates you may receive. SoFi is not a Credit Repair Organization as defined under federal or state law, including the Credit Repair Organizations Act. SoFi does not provide “credit repair” services or advice or assistance regarding “rebuilding” or “improving” your credit record, credit history, or credit rating. For details, see the FTC’s website .

Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

SoFi Loan Products
SoFi loans are originated by SoFi Bank, N.A., NMLS #696891 (Member FDIC). For additional product-specific legal and licensing information, see SoFi.com/legal. Equal Housing Lender.

SOPL19020

Scary, but true. The amount of student debt in the United States is approximately $1.5 trillion , about one-and-a-half times what Americans currently owe on their credit cards. People use credit cards for home repairs, to go on vacation, to buy groceries, to eat out at restaurants—and for just about any other expense you can think of. Yet, all of these purchases combined are dwarfed by our country’s total student loan debt.

Student loan debt is now the second biggest form of debt in our country, only behind mortgage loans—and the debt balance and its accompanying crisis continues to grow. In this post, we’ll delve into what impact this situation is having on the millennial generation (and other borrowers). We’ll also reverse engineer the reasons why this debt crisis is taking place and share strategies to help whittle down student loan debt, maybe even paying it off more quickly.

National Student Loan Debt and Its Impact on Borrowers

A recent study shows that millennials who have student debt have a net worth, on average, that’s 75% less than those without student debt (an average of $29,087, compared to $114,376 for those who are loan-free).

Students with loan debt also tend to have, when compared to their peers with no student loan debt:

•  about half as much money in the bank ($5,500 versus $10,180 )

•  approximately $19,000 less in their retirement accounts ($21,160 versus $39,905 )

•  larger mortgages—and on homes with less value

In short, financial wellness of millennials with student loan debt is clearly substandard, overall, when compared to others in their demographic without this debt. And, although people with college degrees tend to get higher-paying jobs, overall, the weight of the student debt that often accompanies it can drag down a person’s ability to gain financial wellness.

Here’s another statistic to consider: in an era when total student loan debt has surpassed total credit card debt, millennials with student loans also have more credit card debt.

•  55% of those with student loans also have credit card debt ; only 32% without education-related debt do.

•  Their average balance is $2,888 compared to $1,476 for graduates without student loan debt.

A Forbes article looks at the “disastrous domino effect” created by student debt, with one couple sharing how their debt is forcing them to “put their lives on hold year after year.” It’s had a negative impact on their marriage as they focus on paying down debt, and as they’re waiting to have children and buy a home. This debt has been a “huge burden and point of contention.”

Related: Will There Ever Be a Student Loan Bailout?

The borrower being quoted was a participant in a 50-state survey, Buried in Debt , of student loan debt and its impact on borrowers.

This report examines how the unrelenting stress of student debt can strain borrowers financially as well as emotionally. One of the participants shares how she regularly thinks about selling everything she owns to live in her car so she can put more money towards her debt.

Conclusions from the report include:

•  Nearly 90% of borrowers surveyed struggle to make payments.

•  The majority have less than $1,000 in their bank account.

•  6% of them have even had Social Security payments or wages garnished.

•  Nearly one third of them say their student loan bill is higher than their rent or mortgage payment.

•  65% say it’s higher than their entire monthly food budget.

More About the National Student Loan Debt Crisis

The amount of U.S. student loan debt continues to grow, increasing by 170% in just 10 years’ time . You read that right: over the last 10 years or so, the amount of student debt (in real dollars!) nearly tripled, which may lead people to believe we’re in the midst of a student loan bubble, similar to the subprime real estate bubble from a decade ago.

In June 2018, NASDAQ.com published Safehaven’s prediction that the student loan bubble is about to pop, and the article also shares how, earlier in 2018, the chairman of the Federal Reserve stated that this student loan increase could “slow down economic growth.”

Why this Debt is Growing

In part, the total student loan debt is growing because the costs of getting an education are still rising beyond the rate of inflation. In fact, over the last 10 years, the published costs of in-state tuition and fees at public universities increased at an average of 3.1% beyond the rate of inflation.

And, as long as the cost of attending college outpaces the cost of living, problems will continue for borrowers. Plus, the housing market crash of 2008 has also fed into today’s student loan debt crisis. That’s because some parents who’d planned to borrow against their homes’ equity to help their children attend college often couldn’t do so, post-2008. So, these students needed to take on debt of their own. More specifically, some economists suggest that, for every $1 drop in home equity loans, there has been an increase of 40 to 60 cents in student loans.

Even more alarming, analysis by The Brookings Institution estimates that, by 2023 (just a few short years away!), nearly 40% of student borrowers may default on their loans.

Paying Down Student Debt More Quickly

If possible, you could consider making an extra payment annually toward your loans’ principal balance. Can you do this twice a year? Every quarter? Paying extra toward your loans can help you get them paid off more quickly.

If that strategy is too much for your cash flow situation, you could always try figuring out how much you could increase your monthly payment beyond the minimum. Even if that doesn’t seem like an option right now, you can continue monitoring your financial situation and taking advantage of when you can pay more to your debt balance.

It can also help to create or review your monthly budget to see where you can cut back on expenses. For example:

•  How many paid apps, monthly subscriptions, and so forth do you have automatically deducted from a bank account or put on a credit card? Do you use them enough to justify their prices? There are even apps that help you can cancel unnecessary subscriptions and more.

•  When is the last time you shopped around to make sure you’re getting a good deal on your car insurance, enter’s insurance, or cell phone plan? How much could you save if you switched to a less expensive plan, and would the coverage still be as good?

•  What discretionary spending can you reasonably live without?

What would happen if you put those “found” dollars onto your student loan balance?

Refinancing Student Loan Debt with SoFi

If you’ve ever consolidated, say, balances from multiple credit cards into a personal loan, then you already know how much more convenient it can be to have one monthly payment. And, if you can get a lower rate on your new loan, you could also pay less interest over the life of the loan—depending on your repayment term.

The same is true when you refinance your student loans. It isn’t unusual for students to have taken out multiple loans for their education, and consolidating them into one loan with one monthly payment and a potentially lower interest rate might help them manage their repayment.

At SoFi, we allow you to refinance federal and private loans. We do, however, recommend that you explore the repayment benefits you can receive with federal loans, such as forgiveness programs or income-driven repayment plans, before refinancing. You’ll lose out on those benefits when you refinance with a private lender, so it’s important to be sure you won’t want to take advantage of any federal loan benefits either now or in the future.

When you refinance, you can opt for a fixed or variable loan and potentially select a more favorable loan term. If you are currently struggling to make your monthly student loan payments, it might make more sense to choose a longer term—though this can mean paying more interest over the life of the loan. Alternately, if you refinance to a shorter term, you could pay your loans off earlier, potentially paying less in interest.

In just two minutes, you can find your rate online and see if you qualify for SoFi student loan refinancing.

External Websites: The information and analysis provided through hyperlinks to third-party websites, while believed to be accurate, cannot be guaranteed by SoFi. Links are provided for informational purposes and should not be viewed as an endorsement.

Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

Third-Party Brand Mentions: No brands, products, or companies mentioned are affiliated with SoFi, nor do they endorse or sponsor this article. Third-party trademarks referenced herein are property of their respective owners.

SoFi Loan Products
SoFi loans are originated by SoFi Bank, N.A., NMLS #696891 (Member FDIC). For additional product-specific legal and licensing information, see SoFi.com/legal. Equal Housing Lender.

SoFi Student Loan Refinance
If you are a federal student loan borrower, you should consider all of your repayment opportunities including the opportunity to refinance your student loan debt at a lower APR or to extend your term to achieve a lower monthly payment. Please note that once you refinance federal student loans you will no longer be eligible for current or future flexible payment options available to federal loan borrowers, including but not limited to income-based repayment plans or extended repayment plans.