Closing an old credit card is like cutting the birthday cake before you’ve blown out the candles. It usually backfires. It shortens your credit history and reduces your total available credit, which spikes your utilization.
Opening a new card, on the other hand, causes a hard inquiry that briefly dings your score. While one small dip is fine, five new cards in a month is a panic signal to the dragon. Keep it chill.
The magic exception is if you have no installment loans (like a car payment or student loan). If so, a single new card used responsibly can actually help. But for a quick fifty points, stick to fixing what you already have.
