Dear Liz: I have an 834 credit score, with three credit cards. I don’t carry debt or pay annual fees. I’m considering closing one of my cards and replacing it with one available through my credit union. Is it worth the hassle?

Answer: Closing accounts won’t help your credit scores and may hurt them. If there’s no compelling reason to close a card, you might consider leaving the account open and using the card occasionally to prevent the issuer from closing it.

You also might want to rethink your stance on annual fees. These days, few cards without annual fees offer rewards, while many cards offer rewards that more than offset their fees. If you’re new to the rewards card world, consider getting a simple cash-back card. If you’re interested in travel benefits, look for a card that gives you points that you can transfer to frequent traveler programs.

If you’re determined to close the account and open another, apply for the new card first since the closure may drop your scores.

Dear Liz: I recently applied online for a credit card and was rejected, as my credit reports were frozen. I thawed them and applied again, only to be declined again. I received a letter stating that the rejection was because I have no installment credit history. I have no debt, credit scores in the mid-800s and $2 million in retirement accounts. Our paid-for home is valued at approximately $1million. This makes zero sense.

Answer: Federal law requires credit card issuers to send the “adverse action” letter you received to explain why your application was denied. But that letter doesn’t have to be the last word.

You can call the issuer and politely ask that your application be reconsidered. Most credit applications are evaluated by algorithms, rather than people. Getting a human involved can make all the difference, so you’ll want to get this person on your side. Be friendly and polite.

Mention all of the factors in your favor, such as a steady income and a (presumably) long history of handling credit cards responsibly. Explain that you don’t have an installment loan, such as a mortgage, because your home is paid off. If you have an existing relationship with the issuer, such as other credit cards or bank accounts, mention that as well.

There are no guarantees you’ll be successful if you ask, but you’re guaranteed not to get the card if you don’t ask. Good luck!

Dear Liz: Does the reason for a credit card closure affect credit scores? I’ve had retailers close a card simply because it hasn’t been used for a period of time, not because I mishandled the account.

Answer: Credit score formulas don’t distinguish between accounts closed by the consumer and accounts closed by the issuer. The closed account can still ding your scores, but you won’t suffer an extra blow because the decision to close wasn’t your own.

Dear Liz: I have accumulated too many credit cards, sometimes to get bonus frequent flier miles. The frequent flier miles cards all have annual fees. I always pay cards in full each month.

My credit score is 800-plus every month. I have heard that your credit score is dinged when you close credit accounts. Is that true and by how much? How do you recommend reducing the number of credit cards?

Answer: Yes, closing cards can hurt your credit scores. The “how much” question is impossible to predict and will depend on your credit situation as well as how you go about reducing your card portfolio.

Keep in mind that there is no such thing as “too many credit cards” as far as credit scoring formulas are concerned. As long as you pay your bills on time and use only a small portion of your available credit limits, you can have lots of cards and great scores.

However, monitoring a bunch of different cards can be overwhelming. You also don’t want to keep paying annual fees for cards that aren’t delivering sufficient benefits.

If the fees are your primary concern, identify the cards you want to close and ask the issuers if you can get a “product change” to a no-fee card. This typically won’t affect your scores because the account is simply being transferred rather than being closed and reopened.

If you need to thin the herd, be aware that credit scoring formulas are sensitive to credit utilization, or the amount of your available credit you’re using on each card and overall.

If you have multiple cards from the same issuer, ask if the credit limit from the card you’re closing can be added to one of your remaining cards. Another option is to close only your lowest-limit cards.

You won’t want to close any cards if you’ll be looking for a major loan, such as auto financing or a mortgage, in the next few months. Hold off until after you’ve got the loan.

Also try to use up or transfer any points or miles you’ve earned on the cards you plan to close because those rewards may disappear at closure.

Dear Liz: You recently wrote about how closing credit cards can hurt your credit scores. I’m wondering what impact closing a business credit card would have on my personal credit score.

For many years I have been working in the film industry under contracts with my personal services loan-out company. My company has two credit cards, including a travel rewards card with a hefty annual fee. This card has been useful to me because my job involved a lot of international travel. But as I’m now nearing retirement and traveling less, I’m considering closing that account. Will closing the card affect my personal credit scores?

Answer: The answer lies in your credit reports, which you can view for free at AnnualCreditReport.com. (Type that address into your browser rather than searching for it, because the top results are likely to be sites that want to charge you for credit monitoring. If you’re asked for a credit card, you’re on the wrong site.)

Typically, business cards don’t show up on personal credit reports and thus won’t affect your credit scores. But check to make sure.

Before you actually call to close the card, however, you should know that the company probably will want to keep your business. You may be offered a hefty wad of rewards points as an incentive to keep the account open. The points could be worth enough to offset some or even all of the annual fee.

Also, review all of the benefits the card offers. Many premium cards offer various credits to offset the fee, and not all of them are related to travel. Even if those aren’t enough to entice you to keep the card, you may want to use the credits before shuttering the account for good.

You also may have the option to swap your card for one with a lower annual fee, something known as a “product change,” so you’ll also want to investigate whether one of the issuer’s other cards might be a better fit.

Dear Liz: If I have a few credit cards, why would my credit be negatively affected if I paid off and closed some?

Answer: Your credit scores won’t be negatively affected by paying off your card balances — quite the opposite. Paying off debt improves your credit utilization — the amount of your available credit you’re actively using — and that’s a powerful way to boost your scores.

If you close accounts, however, that would reduce your available credit, and that’s bad for your credit scores. That doesn’t mean you can never close a credit card, but you should do so sparingly and try to keep open your cards with the highest limits, if possible.

Dear Liz: I’m debt free with a comfortable income and excellent credit. I just got a new cash-back credit card. I have three other credit cards, including one affiliated with a retail chain that I no longer use. Should I close the retail chain card so I only have three cards? Should I have fewer?

Answer: More is often better when it comes to your credit scores. The scoring formulas may temporarily drop a few points when you apply for a new card, but having at least four active credit accounts can help you achieve and keep high scores.

The formulas won’t punish you for having too many accounts or too much available credit. You could get dinged, though, if you use too much of that credit at one time. To avoid that, try to keep your balance on each card below 10% of its available limit.