No longer have a FICO score/where do I go from a blank slate?

[Anonymous]

I recently signed up to view my credit report again since I knew a lot/all of the negatives on my credit report would soon be dropping off.  Well, I guess they did because there is apparently nothing left on it to compute a FICO score.  This makes sense, but when I checked my freecreditreport it actually did give me a score of 760 with the only positive credit account that I had on my file still showing up from 2003 but all the negative accounts had vanished.  That was a card I got when I was 18 but never used...  why is it still showing up?  Well I'm elated that all of my previous mistakes are as good as gone, but where do I go from here and how do I build credit again in the most responsible way possible? I have basically been living sans credit since I was 19 years old and shot it all to hell.  I've definitely LEARNED MY LESSON.  

Currently I am a full time student/not working therefore do not have an income besides financial aid.  What are my options?  Secured card?  I really have no idea about this stuff and desperately don't want to mess up my credit again.  Thanks a lot.

**edited to add that I realize I should have posted in the rebuilding credit section but do not know how to move or delete.

[llecs]

I'd start with a secured CC from somewhere.

FICO has minimum scoring requirements. The main one is that you must have at least one opened, reporting, and undisputed account showing on your CR.

Freecreditreport offers scores, but it's a FAKO called a PLUS score. Lenders don't use it.

Moving to Rebuilding Your Credit

[Anonymous]

Thanks for moving it t the right spot.  Do you have any reccomendations of where to find a good secured card?

[llecs]

I started with BofA and Orchard as secured CCs. However, if I had it to do over again, I'd nix both. Check with your local bank or CU, or any bank or CU you have an existing relationship with. 

[Shogun]

Secured cards would be the best place to start.   Start slow and easy, garden those cards and you'll be OK.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the info.  I just applied for a Cap 1 secured card after doing a ton of research and was denied.   I don't really understand how I'm supposed to build credit if I can't even get a secured card.  

[Anonymous]

Both my husband and I have less that average credit scores and had obtained our credit reports. We have some negative items that say that it will stay on the report until 2014 or later. What happens when it falls off your credit report? Does it hurt your score or does it improve it? I am not sure if I should pay off the old debts or leave them be?

[Anonymous]

My credit score improved by 80-100 points.  Then when I applied for the secured card it dropped another 17.  This is all from creditkarma so I'm kind of taking it with a grain of salt. I do know that apparently no credit is the same as having bad credit when it comes to trying to get a new card.  Sigh.  I'm no expert but I left all of my negative items drop off except for one I had paid off in full in 2008.  I've heard some horror stories about the dates resestting by paying them off so I just let them be until the statute of limitations took care of them.  But like I said, I'm no expert.

[jsucool76]

I was denied for the capital one secured card too, it really threw me off because I had no negs or anything I just didn't have any history. 

Either DCU or SDFCU offers a secured credit card with no credit check (But I can't remember which one) I think you can join either with a small donation to a non-profit organization. 

[Anonymous]

At this point I'm throwing in the towel.  There is clearly not a whole lot that I can really do and I certainly don't want to rack up a bunch of hard inquiries on my credit report.  I guess this is a hole I dug myself into almost ten years ago that I STILL cannot get out of.  What a wonderful system it is.  Any advice is greatly appreciated/needed as I am at my wits end with frustration.