 TITLE: What Happens After a Balance Transfer? CONTENT: Manage Your Old Credit Cards Wisely\n-----------------------------------\nUsing a balance transfer to concentrate and attack credit card debt is effective, but only if you avoid running up new debt as you pay off the old. That's where temptation can creep into the picture: Those cards you paid off when you made your balance transfer may start whispering from your wallet, insisting that just one purchase or shopping trip will hardly matter on a card with a zero balance. But any payments you have to make on an older card divert funds from your transfer balance.\nIf you find it hard to resist the lure of an unused card, consider taking it out of your wallet, but unless you're paying a high annual fee on the card, you should probably think twice about closing it. Closing a credit card account reduces your total borrowing limit and increases your overall utilization, which has an adverse effect on your credit score. END