Is it better to pay off and close credit card accounts or pay them down to below 50% to raise credit rating?

Question by S.W.: Is it better to pay off and close credit card accounts or pay them down to below 50% to raise credit rating?
Our morgage broker is telling us that we should pay down our multiple credit cards to below 50% of available credit instead of paying off a couple in full and then closing the accounts. She says this will do more to raise our credit score. Is this true? We want to refinance our mortgage but my husband has a 694 credit score and needs it to be at least 700. (I have 749 so I’m fine.)

Best answer:

Answer by melissap1
Pay them down ,but dont close the accounts cause it will hurt your credit rating if you do ,thats what i was told

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