Comments on: What’s Your Oldest Credit Card? http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2008/09/02/whats-your-oldest-credit-card/ personal finance tips, tricks, and commentary Mon, 13 Feb 2012 18:22:18 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: ammbd http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2008/09/02/whats-your-oldest-credit-card/comment-page-1/#comment-123272 ammbd Fri, 05 Sep 2008 02:13:59 +0000 http://www.fivecentnickel.com/?p=1749#comment-123272 oldest cc is my providian/wamu. 1st card post divorce+layoff = ch7 year from h*ll 10 yrs ago. loathe their utter lack of service & mobster APR, but keeping the history. oldest cc is my providian/wamu. 1st card post divorce+layoff = ch7 year from h*ll 10 yrs ago. loathe their utter lack of service & mobster APR, but keeping the history.

]]> By: Kate http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2008/09/02/whats-your-oldest-credit-card/comment-page-1/#comment-123267 Kate Thu, 04 Sep 2008 23:56:20 +0000 http://www.fivecentnickel.com/?p=1749#comment-123267 While my oldest banking relationship are over 15 years old, my oldest credit card is much younger. My credit union keeps offering better cards, but changing cards means changing card numbers. I hate that, for credit score reasons. While my oldest banking relationship are over 15 years old, my oldest credit card is much younger. My credit union keeps offering better cards, but changing cards means changing card numbers. I hate that, for credit score reasons.

]]> By: Danielle http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2008/09/02/whats-your-oldest-credit-card/comment-page-1/#comment-123260 Danielle Thu, 04 Sep 2008 20:54:12 +0000 http://www.fivecentnickel.com/?p=1749#comment-123260 I fell for the "free t-shirt" with credit card my freshman year of college. "Prime Option Master Card" it started out as... I believe that eventually rolled into "AT&T Universal Master Card". I believe my Discover card is the same age, but I don't carry that one with me anymore so I can't check quick. Since I'm 31 now, these are both about 13 years old and I have never gotten in SO over my head that I had to close any of these accounts. We are not in the market for buying a house anymore, and my husband also has a Discover card. I think we both want to kill our Discover accounts as soon as our debt/avail credit % starts to look a little better. I fell for the “free t-shirt” with credit card my freshman year of college. “Prime Option Master Card” it started out as… I believe that eventually rolled into “AT&T Universal Master Card”.

I believe my Discover card is the same age, but I don’t carry that one with me anymore so I can’t check quick.

Since I’m 31 now, these are both about 13 years old and I have never gotten in SO over my head that I had to close any of these accounts.

We are not in the market for buying a house anymore, and my husband also has a Discover card. I think we both want to kill our Discover accounts as soon as our debt/avail credit % starts to look a little better.

]]> By: Eric http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2008/09/02/whats-your-oldest-credit-card/comment-page-1/#comment-123255 Eric Thu, 04 Sep 2008 18:38:08 +0000 http://www.fivecentnickel.com/?p=1749#comment-123255 Discover was the first card I got in college in 1989. That makes it 19 years? Wow, that makes me feel old. And we still use the card. Discover was the first card I got in college in 1989. That makes it 19 years? Wow, that makes me feel old. And we still use the card.

]]> By: Once_Bitten http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2008/09/02/whats-your-oldest-credit-card/comment-page-1/#comment-123207 Once_Bitten Thu, 04 Sep 2008 03:13:23 +0000 http://www.fivecentnickel.com/?p=1749#comment-123207 I would have answered 18 years but the credit card company decided to discontinue the card in its current form. Surprisingly, they didn't even have the decency to offer to roll it into a different card. The oldest I have now is only about 4 years old. Since I no longer wanted to pay a fee to accumulate frequent flyer miles that are nearly impossible to use, I was able to convert it to a cash back card. It was almost unsettling as to how easy they made it to retain me as a customer. I even got to keep the same credit card number, so no ding on the credit history. I would have answered 18 years but the credit card company decided to discontinue the card in its current form. Surprisingly, they didn’t even have the decency to offer to roll it into a different card. The oldest I have now is only about 4 years old. Since I no longer wanted to pay a fee to accumulate frequent flyer miles that are nearly impossible to use, I was able to convert it to a cash back card. It was almost unsettling as to how easy they made it to retain me as a customer. I even got to keep the same credit card number, so no ding on the credit history.

]]> By: J. Money http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2008/09/02/whats-your-oldest-credit-card/comment-page-1/#comment-123173 J. Money Wed, 03 Sep 2008 18:35:46 +0000 http://www.fivecentnickel.com/?p=1749#comment-123173 11 years old - good ol' dad hooked me up to use it "in case of emergencies" back during my freshmen year at college...turned out beer wasn't considered an emergency...but i can do as i please now with it ;) 11 years old – good ol’ dad hooked me up to use it “in case of emergencies” back during my freshmen year at college…turned out beer wasn’t considered an emergency…but i can do as i please now with it ;)

]]> By: Mary http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2008/09/02/whats-your-oldest-credit-card/comment-page-1/#comment-123148 Mary Wed, 03 Sep 2008 03:04:29 +0000 http://www.fivecentnickel.com/?p=1749#comment-123148 The oldest card on my credit report is from 1982! I'm sure it is a card I opened in college. I don't use it (not even sure what it is) but I don't close it out either as it definitely helps my credit score to have that long of a credit history. The oldest card on my credit report is from 1982! I’m sure it is a card I opened in college. I don’t use it (not even sure what it is) but I don’t close it out either as it definitely helps my credit score to have that long of a credit history.

]]> By: Christopher Holdheide http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2008/09/02/whats-your-oldest-credit-card/comment-page-1/#comment-123123 Christopher Holdheide Tue, 02 Sep 2008 16:31:08 +0000 http://www.fivecentnickel.com/?p=1749#comment-123123 Great article! I currently have 2 credit cards one which is a marathon gas card supported by mastercard which has no fees and gives me 5% back on my gas. The other is just a VISA bank card with no benifits. Although the card is around 5 years of age I have often thought of switching to a card that would give me more benifits on air travel, but should I do it if my other card has a longer credit history? Great article! I currently have 2 credit cards one which is a marathon gas card supported by mastercard which has no fees and gives me 5% back on my gas. The other is just a VISA bank card with no benifits. Although the card is around 5 years of age I have often thought of switching to a card that would give me more benifits on air travel, but should I do it if my other card has a longer credit history?

]]> By: Kim McGrigg http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2008/09/02/whats-your-oldest-credit-card/comment-page-1/#comment-123121 Kim McGrigg Tue, 02 Sep 2008 16:16:58 +0000 http://www.fivecentnickel.com/?p=1749#comment-123121 My first and oldest card account was opened in 1991. It's interesting that people fondly reminisce about their first loves, their first cars, and their first credit cards. My first and oldest card account was opened in 1991. It’s interesting that people fondly reminisce about their first loves, their first cars, and their first credit cards.

]]> By: nickel http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2008/09/02/whats-your-oldest-credit-card/comment-page-1/#comment-123119 nickel Tue, 02 Sep 2008 15:23:51 +0000 http://www.fivecentnickel.com/?p=1749#comment-123119 Blaine: Good question. I suspect that it does matter. While activity drops off after seven years, all current cards remain on there and I think they still track the age of the account no matter how old it is. Also, when you check tyour credit score they always give some bullet points on how to improve it. In my case, they have always mentioned something about the age of my accounts, saying that the score will increase with older accounts -- this is despite already having accounts considerably older than the seven year threshold. Blaine: Good question. I suspect that it does matter. While activity drops off after seven years, all current cards remain on there and I think they still track the age of the account no matter how old it is. Also, when you check tyour credit score they always give some bullet points on how to improve it. In my case, they have always mentioned something about the age of my accounts, saying that the score will increase with older accounts — this is despite already having accounts considerably older than the seven year threshold.

]]> By: jim of Blueprint for Financial Prosperity http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2008/09/02/whats-your-oldest-credit-card/comment-page-1/#comment-123115 jim of Blueprint for Financial Prosperity Tue, 02 Sep 2008 14:56:50 +0000 http://www.fivecentnickel.com/?p=1749#comment-123115 My oldest is maybe 8 years but I'm 28 so the max I could have is 10 years :) My oldest is maybe 8 years but I’m 28 so the max I could have is 10 years :)

]]> By: Blaine Moore http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2008/09/02/whats-your-oldest-credit-card/comment-page-1/#comment-123111 Blaine Moore Tue, 02 Sep 2008 14:28:54 +0000 http://www.fivecentnickel.com/?p=1749#comment-123111 Does length of time you've had the card matter past 7 years? Does length of time you’ve had the card matter past 7 years?

]]> By: Nicole http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2008/09/02/whats-your-oldest-credit-card/comment-page-1/#comment-123110 Nicole Tue, 02 Sep 2008 14:17:00 +0000 http://www.fivecentnickel.com/?p=1749#comment-123110 I have 2 (Express and Capital One) that I got shortly after graduating from high school (7 years ago). We'll probably buy a house in the next few years, so I'm not too anxious about closing anything right now, but I've got express, jcrew and american eagle cards that I would love to make go away. Do you think that since they're small value store cards once we buy a house I can close them and not run into too much trouble? I have 2 (Express and Capital One) that I got shortly after graduating from high school (7 years ago). We’ll probably buy a house in the next few years, so I’m not too anxious about closing anything right now, but I’ve got express, jcrew and american eagle cards that I would love to make go away. Do you think that since they’re small value store cards once we buy a house I can close them and not run into too much trouble?

]]> By: Jeremy http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2008/09/02/whats-your-oldest-credit-card/comment-page-1/#comment-123107 Jeremy Tue, 02 Sep 2008 13:25:54 +0000 http://www.fivecentnickel.com/?p=1749#comment-123107 I have a couple that are around 10-11 years old. One is just a basic visa opened with my university's credit union when I was back in school, and the other was some stupid store card I opened at Hudson's, which turned into Marshall Field's, and is now Macy's. I only use them enough to keep them active, since they aren't very good cards, I just use them for the longer credit history. I have a couple that are around 10-11 years old. One is just a basic visa opened with my university’s credit union when I was back in school, and the other was some stupid store card I opened at Hudson’s, which turned into Marshall Field’s, and is now Macy’s. I only use them enough to keep them active, since they aren’t very good cards, I just use them for the longer credit history.

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