A 19 Year Old and Credit

[laz98]

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@Anonymous wrote:

You got 9.9% with First Premier??  Haven't seen that before.  I think you're doing pretty good.  Keep building that history!

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when i had a first premier card, that was my APR as well.  it remained the same the entire time i had the card.  probably the only thing i miss about that card! 

[Anonymous]

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@smc733 wrote:

You can get most of those things with other cards.  There's nothing wrong with the Blue/Clear if you don't mind high APRs, but I don't think the perks outweigh the annual fee on charge cards unless you spend a LOT.

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Agreed.  The only reason I have Green right now is because they backdated to my old CO account from 2001.  I plan to apply for Blue later this year in order to further exploit that feature, then close the Green.

[KayMD]

Looking into the blue really liking what I see but any recommendation that I can keep with me for mabye five yers or more.

[TheCreditKid]

I don't necessarily think you need to wait 5 years.... Most individuals with a decent credit score will get approve for Zync first, then 6-12 months later apply for the Blue.

That's what I did, and my CR is pretty short( Note: I'm not much older than you).

[JMN]

I had my first AmEx at 19. However, I had a more diverse credit portfolio and higher FICO.

[JayRizzo]

Be careful trying to jump into the deep end of the pool without learning how to swim -- you're doggie paddling right now, but you'll need to learn a bit more IMO.  Those shiny new AMEX charge cards may look pretty on the outside, but you'd better be prepared to take on any challenge that comes when you get one. 

One main discipline you will need to master is PIF because if you're still carrying a Christmas balance here in February, just remember... AMEX don't play that.  Take it slow, don't rush.  It's good that so many members provided good feedback rather than encourage or push the new member into the deep end of the pool.

Also, Young Grasshopper, be aware that Capital One's 0% Intro rate doesn't actually last a full year so be prepared by knowing when it ends and try not to carry a balance during that transistion cycle.

Good luck to you on your Credit Endeavors! 

[smc733]

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@JayRizzo wrote:

Be careful trying to jump into the deep end of the pool without learning how to swim -- you're doggie paddling right now, but you'll need to learn a bit more IMO.  Those shiny new AMEX charge cards may look pretty on the outside, but you'd better be prepared to take on any challenge that comes when you get one. 

One main discipline you will need to master is PIF because if you're still carrying a Christmas balance here in February, just remember... AMEX don't play that.  Take it slow, don't rush.  It's good that so many members provided good feedback rather than encourage or push the new member into the deep end of the pool.

Also, Young Grasshopper, be aware that Capital One's 0% Intro rate doesn't actually last a full year so be prepared by knowing when it ends and try not to carry a balance during that transistion cycle.

Good luck to you on your Credit Endeavors! 

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Best advice here.  I still don't know if a charge card is really of any value to a college student.  I think he'd be better suited with an Amex revolver if he insists on having big blue in his wallet.

[haulingthescoreup]

OP, I have a Blue, and I'm getting ready to close it because the rewards are so lame. (I have the Costco card now, and that will be my AmEx card.)

The Chase Freedom and Citi Forward, among others, have much better rewards than the Blue, IMO.

You might want to mentally run through how much you spend and where, and target any cards for your usage to max your rewards.

[Anonymous]

I agree the Chase Freedom would be a better fit if she can get it, but it sounds like SHE (why do we all default to someone being male?) would be better fit for a discover student card. they're not that bad.

I still feel the Apex of a credit card is AmEx blue. But then again I rip cash out of a coworker/friends hand and put all purchases on my Blue Cash.

[smc733]

Right, but Blue's rewards are very subpar for a college student's spending.