topic Re: Best Credit card for First Card/Building (not secured unless we just have to) in Credit Cards

Best Credit card for First Card/Building (not secured unless we just have to)

Girlzilla88 — Fri, 01 Nov 2019 16:39:43 GMT

If this needs to be moved to CC area please do but I would like to find a great first card for my fiance....He doesn't know his score so I am assuming it is 550 or less like mine was when I first started but I didn't have you guys/gals when I first started either so instead of throwing him to cards I think may work I want to hear real experiences of a good starter card or someone you thought would deny you because of your lower score but ended up surprising you with an accepted letter/notice. I don't have any information other than this would be his first CC so I know that would help but I don't want to be to 'nosey' and ask him to pull up his scores to see EXACTLY why and what is on it or how to approach the I would need to see ....maybe there are things he doesn't want me to know just yet?! But he is open to a card to build up his history and things I just don't think he realizes how tough and strict it will be just yet and that it will be easy to open one.

Re: Best Credit card for First Card/Building (not secured unless we just have to)

AllZero — Fri, 01 Nov 2019 16:53:43 GMT

You know he needs to pull his score to see where he stands. Creditchecktotal.com

Does he have any credit history at all; car, student loan, etc?

Try the prequal sites to see if any offers. At least he can gauge his credit worthiness. If no offers, it'll be secured route
Discover
Capital One
Citi
Amex

I recommend BoA and Discover secured.

Re: Best Credit card for First Card/Building (not secured unless we just have to)

Girlzilla88 — Fri, 01 Nov 2019 17:00:06 GMT

I was thinking Capital One myself but I just don't know how to be like...Let me see your scores and EVERY DETAIL without him feeling offended?! We did coX together one vehicle but when I refinanced I flipped it to just my name so it may show as paid off on his side.....I believe he said he also just paid off his Student Loans so if anything he may have medical debt or those paid off ones but as far as CC he said he has never had one. I will definitely try the Prequal sites with him and see

Re: Best Credit card for First Card/Building (not secured unless we just have to)

AllZero — Fri, 01 Nov 2019 17:46:25 GMT

Unsecured Capital One would be good. No to secured. It will not graduate.

Those two installment loans will help prop up his profile if paid satisfactorily and closed in good standing.

Maybe have him be put on as authorized user on a credit card?

If there is any derogatory or delinquency he needs to address those to give him a better chance at approval.

Re: Best Credit card for First Card/Building (not secured unless we just have to)

Girlzilla88 — Fri, 01 Nov 2019 17:16:05 GMT

I thought about it ...butttttttt him being an AU could affect my scores if he misses a payment or something yes?! or no?! and for the last part I wouldn't know but I do know if he did we would have to remove them first before opting.

Re: Best Credit card for First Card/Building (not secured unless we just have to)

Girlzilla88 — Fri, 01 Nov 2019 17:17:20 GMT

Although he may already be one since when I got my Visa I asked for a Card with his name too so does that mean I made him an AU?! I can't believe I just now thought about that....SMH

Re: Best Credit card for First Card/Building (not secured unless we just have to)

Anonymous — Fri, 01 Nov 2019 17:18:29 GMT

"Let me see your scores and EVERY DETAIL without him feeling offended?! "

You're about to...presumably...spend the rest of your lives together.....plus you're seen each other naked 😲

In all seriousness you're probably going to purchase some join stuff in the future. Time to get it all out there. Give him instructions on how to get all three scores from creditchecktotal.com and take it from there.

Re: Best Credit card for First Card/Building (not secured unless we just have to)

Girlzilla88 — Fri, 01 Nov 2019 17:20:39 GMT

ROFL I know I know I am just scared to take that 'JUMP' but if we do start now with him which was a topic we had then in a few years if he did need it for any reason then he would have at least 1-2 years Age (again not sure what all shows now) minimum.

Re: Best Credit card for First Card/Building (not secured unless we just have to)

AllZero — Fri, 01 Nov 2019 17:31:38 GMT

Show him this site.

Link him to the approvals forum. That usually gets people excited.

Re: Best Credit card for First Card/Building (not secured unless we just have to)

Anonymous — Fri, 01 Nov 2019 17:32:52 GMT

You're about to intertwine your finances and you're scared of seeing his CR's? His reports / scores are probably just as high as yours since you've been comingling things already. Just do whatever it takes to get the info together and if it starts a conversation about credit and finances so be it... you'll have plenty of them over the next 50 years or less if you don't start before tying the knot.

Re: Best Credit card for First Card/Building (not secured unless we just have to)

Aim_High — Fri, 01 Nov 2019 17:46:58 GMT

IMO, secured cards are best left to people who are rebuilding.

I've never had a secured card and don't think they are necessary for most people.

In addition, I think they may make a credit underwriter assume there is past derogatory info somewhere that made someone go the secured route.

There are many other routes for people who are just new to credit and have thin files.

(1) Authorized user accounts

(2) Short-term loans (like retail offers, pay in 90-days)

(3) Retail store or gasoline cards

(4) Cards from credit unions or banks where you have account history

(5) Student cards, if applicable

(6) Auto loans, even if just a smaller one for the sake of building history

(7) Co-signed loans, if not approved as a primary

If you have a couple of the above with a clean but thin file and good employment history, it's pretty easy to get cards from some of the lower-tier lenders that aren't secured cards. As mentioned, Capital One or Discover are major reputable banks with more generous policies towards new credit. For someone with a "clean" file, I don't think you even need to resort to the predatory lenders like the Credit-One type, much less secured cards. But if all the above fails (which I seriously doubt it would), you could go the secured card route for six months and then SD it to cancel it as soon as you build good cards. Unfortunately, that secured card still shows on your report for years.

Re: Best Credit card for First Card/Building (not secured unless we just have to)

Aim_High — Fri, 01 Nov 2019 17:51:17 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
You're about to...presumably...spend the rest of your lives together.....plus you're seen each other naked 😲

Well, that's rather presumptive.

Anyway, we're not talking sex here.

We're talking credit and finances.

Way more personal than nakedness. Lol

Re: Best Credit card for First Card/Building (not secured unless we just have to)

wasCB14 — Fri, 01 Nov 2019 18:01:28 GMT

@Girlzilla88 wrote:
I want to hear real experiences of a good starter card or someone you thought would deny you because of your lower score but ended up surprising you with an accepted letter/notice.

I started with Freedom. I was a Chase checking/savings customer so it was the first reasonable choice in front of me.

I was too naive to be worried about inquiries or starting with a secured card.

If going the secured route, though, Discover stands out as a good option that can unsecure and remains occasionally useful in the long run.

Re: Best Credit card for First Card/Building (not secured unless we just have to)

CramEiko — Sat, 02 Nov 2019 02:12:19 GMT

@Girlzilla88 wrote:
Although he may already be one since when I got my Visa I asked for a Card with his name too so does that mean I made him an AU?! I can't believe I just now thought about that....SMH

Tread carefully. I've even seen families screw each other over by this. That is tied directly to you and they can just walk away.

IMHO - I would go the unsecured Cap1 credit steps route then garden for a year. Personally, It would be too hard for me to let anyone that is or has been irresponsable with their own credit in any recent history on as an AU.

Good Luck!

Re: Best Credit card for First Card/Building (not secured unless we just have to)

NRB525 — Sat, 02 Nov 2019 15:12:17 GMT

@Girlzilla88 wrote:
If this needs to be moved to CC area please do but I would like to find a great first card for my fiance....He doesn't know his score so I am assuming it is 550 or less like mine was when I first started but I didn't have you guys/gals when I first started either so instead of throwing him to cards I think may work I want to hear real experiences of a good starter card or someone you thought would deny you because of your lower score but ended up surprising you with an accepted letter/notice. I don't have any information other than this would be his first CC so I know that would help but I don't want to be to 'nosey' and ask him to pull up his scores to see EXACTLY why and what is on it or how to approach the I would need to see ....maybe there are things he doesn't want me to know just yet?! But he is open to a card to build up his history and things I just don't think he realizes how tough and strict it will be just yet and that it will be easy to open one.

With all due respect, you are projecting a terrible credit history on him, without knowing anything. People don't start out in credit with a 550. They work hard at getting to 550 by taking out loans and credit cards, then missing payments, going to collections, or filing BK.

If he has no credit card history, and has student loans in repayment with no lates, he most likely has a better score than you.

Re: Best Credit card for First Card/Building (not secured unless we just have to)

wasCB14 — Sun, 03 Nov 2019 04:54:00 GMT

@NRB525 wrote:
@Girlzilla88 wrote:
If this needs to be moved to CC area please do but I would like to find a great first card for my fiance....He doesn't know his score so I am assuming it is 550 or less like mine was when I first started but I didn't have you guys/gals when I first started either so instead of throwing him to cards I think may work I want to hear real experiences of a good starter card or someone you thought would deny you because of your lower score but ended up surprising you with an accepted letter/notice. I don't have any information other than this would be his first CC so I know that would help but I don't want to be to 'nosey' and ask him to pull up his scores to see EXACTLY why and what is on it or how to approach the I would need to see ....maybe there are things he doesn't want me to know just yet?! But he is open to a card to build up his history and things I just don't think he realizes how tough and strict it will be just yet and that it will be easy to open one.
With all due respect, you are projecting a terrible credit history on him, without knowing anything. People don't start out in credit with a 550. They work hard at getting to 550 by taking out loans and credit cards, then missing payments, going to collections, or filing BK.

If he has no credit card history, and has student loans in repayment with no lates, he most likely has a better score than you.

Thin, clean files are compared to other thin, clean files. High FICOs are possible with little history...they may just not mean much to a lender.

When I had 6 months of history (the minimum needed to have a score) Discover's monthly update reported my TU as 759.

Re: Best Credit card for First Card/Building (not secured unless we just have to)

Girlzilla88 — Sun, 03 Nov 2019 22:02:04 GMT

I'm just roughly assuming going off of my CS when I was starting....I didn't have a CC when I started hell I didn't even have student debts and when my CS was pulled it was low 500's .....But if his IS in fact higher than my Current score that would actually make my life easier.....I just don't know and we actually plan after I get off work today to go over things.

Re: Best Credit card for First Card/Building (not secured unless we just have to)

Girlzilla88 — Sun, 03 Nov 2019 22:03:10 GMT

But you are also assuming he has no lates ;D But *fingers crossed* it won't be as bad as I think?! (in the nicest way possible)

Re: Best Credit card for First Card/Building (not secured unless we just have to)

NRB525 — Sun, 03 Nov 2019 23:28:28 GMT

@Girlzilla88 wrote:
I'm just roughly assuming going off of my CS when I was starting....I didn't have a CC when I started hell I didn't even have student debts and when my CS was pulled it was low 500's .....But if his IS in fact higher than my Current score that would actually make my life easier.....I just don't know and we actually plan after I get off work today to go over things.

Can we explore that a bit more? What sort of credit activity did your file show prior to this low-500's reading?

A new file, with only basic activity, enough to generate a score, should be about 700.

Re: Best Credit card for First Card/Building (not secured unless we just have to)

Girlzilla88 — Mon, 04 Nov 2019 14:44:03 GMT

We sure can! I'd be glad to help truth is I found out my score was in the 500's when I went to cosign the vehicle for my fiance a few years back (I hadn't touched my credit, NO CC's, only 2 medical bills in Collections) that was it ...no repo's reported no BK's ever but no CC history only one Laptop I bought from Aaron's that I paid off that was showing paid/complete from I think it was 5 years before this happened so I thought my score would be in a lot better standing then it was (not realizing the Medical would affect it as much as it did) but I also didn't know a lot of things back then either. So even though I had the positive one from 5 years ago (2 years before this) I had 2 (one smaller one a bit bigger) Medical Bills I had no idea were even attached to my Credit that were more recent I believe at the time they were 2 years or so old....(4 years ago from current). I know he has some Medical bills but I don't know if they were paid, if they are on his information, if he has any lates etc....we meant to do it last night but he ended up having to go to work so I guess we will do it tonight