Okay, award travelers, listen up! You've probably got a sweet stash of credit cards, each strategically chosen for its rewards and perks. But all that planning goes down the drain if your accounts get closed due to inactivity! Banks don't like unused cards and might shut them down, costing you valuable credit history and potentially tanking your credit score.

The good news is keeping your cards active doesn't require a ton of effort. The easiest way is to just set up small, recurring bills (like your Netflix or Spotify subscription) to automatically charge to each card every month. Another simple trick is to make a small purchase, like a coffee, every few months. Finally, you can use each card to buy gift cards that you know you'll eventually use.

Why should you care? Keeping cards open helps your credit score by increasing the available credit, which lowers your credit utilization ratio, a key factor in credit scoring. Plus, those cards might have perks you're not even thinking about – purchase protection, extended warranties, or even just the simple ability to earn points on everyday spending. A little effort goes a long way to keeping your credit card strategy humming.