The largest impact on your credit rating is your DTI (Debt To Income) ration. Most lenders will look at that more often than you credit rating at times. Your payment history is a second impact. Doesn't matter whether you paid in full, or paid over time. Once you get a delinquency on your CR...that makes it hard to bounce back. Age of debt is generally the third. You JUST got that loan...paying it off and CLOSING that bish will not have an impact. Keep your oldest CC open and pay minimum and not miss a payment.