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

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Aim_High
Super Contributor

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

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. 

 

 


Business Cards


Length of Credit > 40 years; Total Credit Limits >$900K
Top Lender TCL - Chase 156.4 - BofA 99.7 - AMEX 95.0 - CITI 94.5 - NFCU 80.0 - SYCH - 65.0
AoOA > 30 years (Jun 1993); AoYA (Feb 2024)
* Hover cursor over cards to see name & CL, or press & hold on mobile app.
Message 11 of 36
Aim_High
Super Contributor

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


@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.  Smiley Tongue

Anyway, we're not talking sex here.

We're talking credit and finances.

Way more personal than nakedness.  Smiley LOL Lol


Business Cards


Length of Credit > 40 years; Total Credit Limits >$900K
Top Lender TCL - Chase 156.4 - BofA 99.7 - AMEX 95.0 - CITI 94.5 - NFCU 80.0 - SYCH - 65.0
AoOA > 30 years (Jun 1993); AoYA (Feb 2024)
* Hover cursor over cards to see name & CL, or press & hold on mobile app.
Message 12 of 36
wasCB14
Super Contributor

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


@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.   Smiley Happy      


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.

 

 

Personal spend: Amex Gold, Amex Schwab Plat., BofA PR+CCR(x2), Costco
Business use: Amex Bus. Plat., BBP, Lowes Amex AU, CFU AU
Perks: Delta Plat., United Explorer, IHG49, Hyatt, "Old SPG"
Mostly SD: Freedom Flex, Freedom, Arrival
Upgrade/Downgrade games: ED, BCE
SUB chasing: AA Platinum Select
Message 13 of 36
CramEiko
Established Contributor

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


@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!





Updated Feb 2023:
Citi Double Cash: $26,300
Citi Costco: $33,800
PenFed Power Cash: $50,000
Chase Freedom Unlimited: $33,400
NFCU Cash Rewards: $29,000
BoA Unlimited Cash: $99,900
Wells Fargo Active Cash: $50,000
Citi AAdvantage Executive: $30,500
Wells Fargo Mortgage 30yr fixed 3.625%

Business Cards:
BoA Business Advantage Unlimited Cash: $8,000
Chase Ink Business Unlimited: $75,000
Chase Ink Business Unlimited: $75,000

RIP: EECU PLOC | BBVA PLOC | Chase SP | Chase Amazon | Chase Freedom | WF Propel | Cap1 QS | AMEX Gold | BoA Custom Cash | Lowes | Barclays Aviator Red
Message 14 of 36
NRB525
Super Contributor

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


@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.   Smiley Happy       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. 

High Bal Jan 2009 $116k on $146k limits 80% Util.
Oct 2014 $46k on $127k 36% util EQ 722 TU 727 EX 727
April 2018 $18k on $344k 5% util EQ 806 TU 810 EX 812
Jan 2019 $7.6k on $360k EQ 832 TU 839 EX 831
March 2021 $33k on $312k EQ 796 TU 798 EX 801
May 2021 Paid all Installments and Mortgages, one new Mortgage EQ 761 TY 774 EX 777
April 2022 EQ=811 TU=807 EX=805 - TU VS 3.0 765
Message 15 of 36
wasCB14
Super Contributor

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


@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.   Smiley Happy       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.

Personal spend: Amex Gold, Amex Schwab Plat., BofA PR+CCR(x2), Costco
Business use: Amex Bus. Plat., BBP, Lowes Amex AU, CFU AU
Perks: Delta Plat., United Explorer, IHG49, Hyatt, "Old SPG"
Mostly SD: Freedom Flex, Freedom, Arrival
Upgrade/Downgrade games: ED, BCE
SUB chasing: AA Platinum Select
Message 16 of 36
Girlzilla88
Valued Contributor

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

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.







Message 17 of 36
Girlzilla88
Valued Contributor

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

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) 







Message 18 of 36
NRB525
Super Contributor

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


@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. 

High Bal Jan 2009 $116k on $146k limits 80% Util.
Oct 2014 $46k on $127k 36% util EQ 722 TU 727 EX 727
April 2018 $18k on $344k 5% util EQ 806 TU 810 EX 812
Jan 2019 $7.6k on $360k EQ 832 TU 839 EX 831
March 2021 $33k on $312k EQ 796 TU 798 EX 801
May 2021 Paid all Installments and Mortgages, one new Mortgage EQ 761 TY 774 EX 777
April 2022 EQ=811 TU=807 EX=805 - TU VS 3.0 765
Message 19 of 36
Girlzilla88
Valued Contributor

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

We sure can!  Smiley Very Happy    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 Smiley Very Happy    

 

 

 







Message 20 of 36
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