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Credit Cards


Faldoe

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In Canada some have purchased prepaid credit cards from money lending stores. After using these for awhile they are able to apply for real credit cards and get them.

 

You need to know what # your credit score is at and watch this. Of course be careful applying because if you apply to things and are rejected this goes against you on your credit score. You can check your score online through companies like Equifax for a small fee. It is OK for you to check it, but if banks and loan companies check it that can go against your score.

 

 

Any unpaid overdue debts etc. that are listed need to be paid or resolved. There are ways to have notes put in to address issues or make clarifications.

 

 

 

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Capital One is known as being a first credit card or go the prepaid option. Or try a store card to a retailer. Just know your interest rate will probably be higher due to lack of credit history. Keep yourself out of trouble by being smart with your card. In my experience, once you make a few payments on time you will get a bunch of offers in the mail (at least that was my experience as a college student about 8years ago). So be smart and don't dig yourself a hole.

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reverberlayed wrote:

 

Capital One is known as being a first credit card or go the prepaid option. Or try a store card to a retailer. Just know your interest rate will probably be higher due to lack of credit history. Keep yourself out of trouble by being smart with your card. In my experience, once you make a few payments on time you will get a bunch of offers in the mail (at least that was my experience as a college student about 8years ago). So be smart and don't dig yourself a hole.

 

+1  I was pretty much going to say the same thing.

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Do you have no credit history or poor credit history?

If you have no credit history, simply opening a checking account ought to provide you with enough to get a credit card with a low limit.  Make six months of timely payments and request that your limit be raised.

If you have poor credit history, try opening a banking account with a local credit union. 

You do not have to pay to obtain your credit reports.  You are entitled to see them for free, once every year. 

I would give you one piece of strong advice: avoid CapitalOne and Discover, both are renowned for raising interest rates to astronomical levels.  Discover raised mine to 29.99% for -- get this -- not using the card.  CapitalOne raises rates with any late payment and is very aggressive towards consumers.

The message is: get your credit card where you do you checking.  At least at first. Opening a checking account is the fastest simple way for a person with NO credit to begin to build usable credit history. 

Never pay an annual fee.

Try to get a card that offers cash-back (there are many; Bank of America has one, as does Wells Fargo).

As long as interest rates remain comparatively low, retail banking is attractive to big banks like BoA, Chase, Wells Fargo, etc.  If inflation returns, it will become less profitable and the programs wont' be as good.  Try to get this done now, as inflation is very likely to pick up as the economy improves.  If the economy doesn't improve, we'll all have bigger concerns than cashback rates on credit cards.

Finally, there are several websites that compare card programs:

www.comparecards.com

www.google.com/compare/creditcard/

www.creditcards.com

 

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