How many credit cards should you have to maintain a good credit score?

While there is no specific number that is best, having several credits that are used sparingly is often the best approach to maintaining good credit, according to Bankrate. Having multiple cards with high limits and little or no balances lowers a person's balance-to-limit ratio, which is important to credit scores.

A more general approach is to have as many credits as needed but not enough to get into serious debt trouble, reports Bankrate. The "Amounts Owed" FICO scoring category, which includes balance-to-limit ratios, accounts for 30 percent of someone's credit score. One financial expert cited by Bankrate indicated that he and his wife share 80 credit cards.