[SeriousGamesKit]

Interestingly, this expectation isn't universal in the Western world outside of the US. In Australia, the banks don't expect to see previous credit card management, and in fact the presence of an open credit card will significantly reduce your calculated borrowing power for a mortgage.

The myth of US-style 'credit score' requiring a history of card use does persist here though, and I've known several people who have had to close one or more credit cards in order to get their mortgage approved.

[stephen_g]

Weird thing is that when I got my mortgage, I had two credit cards (for airline points) and the broker was like “oh if you’re happy to close them you’ll be able to borrow more”, so we did the application based on that, but then the bank just didn’t ask me to… I still have them, years later…