FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - Churn Amex cards to increase average age of accounts?
Old Aug 9, 2013, 4:09 pm
  #10  
Dr_wanderlust
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: USA
Programs: DL PM, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 2,367
Originally Posted by benjiem1
You're right, I think there's some confusion over what I'm asking. I should clarify:

Everything on my credit report is fantastic, with the exception of average age of accounts. I have a perfect payment history on all of my accounts, for as long as I've had them. I have an appropriate number of accounts, with credit limits well within the number described above. I know for a fact that I have plenty of available credit with Amex, whether I increase my credit line on my current card, or apply for a new one. These are not the issues I'm talking about here.

I'm asking simply about average age of accounts. And yes, I'm talking about opening new cards to counteract opening new cards. When two new cards have an age of one month, and two new cards show an age of 7 years, that comes out to an average age of roughly 3 1/2 years. Yes, the methodology is somewhat counterintuitive, but it if wasn't, I wouldn't have to ask.

Can someone familiar with American Express's policy regarding backdating the reported age of credit cards provide any kind of insight as to whether there's any reason this wouldn't work?
In short, as long as the cards are backdated adding Amex issued cards (not cards by other issuers on the amex network) will help your AAoA. The only cost, credit score wise, is the temporary effect of the inquiry.
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