@Anonymous wrote:How important is credit history?
My Fico scores are: 659/679/669
Also my TransUnion credit score = 708 and my Equifax is 704 (from Credit Karma)
I have a secured loan for $46k I took out in April with $23k left, I caught a glance of a thread that I should pay this down to 9% and leave the line open for 4-5 years which I will do, can I pay it down to 9% immediately to reduce interest?
Yes you can. Not only will you save interest, you'll improve your score.
I also have a $1k secured credit card I just using last month. Is it ok to make payments within a few days of each purchase,
Yes it's ok
or is it better to leave a balance on the card for a set number of days and pay it right before the due date? Is there a rule of thumb for how much of the $1k I should use each month (i.e. 90%, 50% etc..)
Alternate between reporting zero percent one month and something greater than zero but less than 10 percent the next month, & see which gives you the best score.
Which cards should I consider applying for, I am ok applying for just 1 to start, pick me a winner.
I would start with Barclay Rewards or Capital One Platinum. The only problem with Capital One is that it pulls all 3 bureaus. Barclay usually pulls just TU.
Lastly am I safe to start applying for non-secured credit cards given my score without risk of getting inquiries on my record or should I wait a few more months? If so how many months is the rule of thumb?
Of course you'll get an inquiry when you apply. But I think it's worth it.
