Loan officer told us to close our credit cards for new good credit.

Loan Officers don't seem to know what they are talking about I've learned. I see that you state we should reopen accounts and NOT close accounts in good standing. I have read this statement (not closing accounts) on other pages as well.
While on maternity leave with our 2 nd child my job was closed unexpectedly. That caused some late payments, we went through a "credit counseling" that took plenty money from us but weren't up to par with our creditors.
We talked to a Loan officer who told us to take & close our accounts we did not use & the ones that were in good standing. Even though the balances were at ZERO, she said it was still considered "possible debt". So we did this thinking what she said made sense. Now we hear different. The cards on our reports still state zero balance/account closed by consumer's request. But it has been a couple years and our score that has plummeted could we still request that they be reopened?
B) I have had 2 Loan officers RECENTLY tell us 2 different things.1) we should negotiate paying off our debt but do it in Monthly payments so that reflects monthly on our credit report that they are paying as agreed.
2) The other said to come up with a sum and pay it in full with one payment, creditors will be more likely to cooperate with one check than with payments over time. either way it won't help our score.Who is right?also the 4 accounts we are having these issues with have been transferred to collection companies. The original creditors have $0 balance with the collection Companies holding the balance. However the 4 accounts are reported 8 times. (1 each for the 4 original, then 1 each for the 4 collections) The one original creditor said they can't do anything because it is not in their hands anymore. so should io still try to negotiate with the original creditors or just go straight to the collections?I've heard 2 stories for this also.1) The original creditor will take arrangements & call off the collections company.and2) The Original Creditor may take payment but have no hand with the collection company so we may end up having to pay the collection company also. Since the original was already charged or written off they are getting the benefits twice while the collection company will still want the debt they bought from original creditors.P.S. a word on one of your blogs regarding the double jeapordy. I challenged this with the credit bureaus and they have been changed on our reports to show the same date to be off the record as the ORIGINAL debt. So even if the collection company bought it 2 years after, it was changed to show the original date to be taken off that is posted by original creditor. so it is possible. You just have to try.
----------------------
Either way it wont' help your score right NOW is the right answer.
One should have at least three open accounts.
If you have like 8 or 10. Then it is good to get down to 3. So closing does help sometimes.
BUT
Not your only good rated credit. How the heck are you going to be able to raise your score with no good credit open now?

Loan officers by an large are not credit people. They are loan people.

I would work with the collection companies. You already called orginal creditor.

Pay in full if they will remove it from you credit. But pay no matter how you do it.

Monthly payments will not help you if you are have non revolving credit issues. Collection is not revolving credit. So monthly payments is NOT going to help you with those accounts.