@Jayla127 wrote:
Where can I find a list of prime cards? And, when will I know to apply for one? Do I apply once my credit score reaches 650 and better?
There is no list of "prime" cards... "Prime" is in the eye of the beholder. When people here refer to "prime" cards, they simply mean any card that they feel is a worthwhile, non-predatory, and with quality customer service and a reasonable APR, no unwarranted annual fee (I emphasize unwarranted, as many AMEX users feel an AF is justified for the service/perks, etc), and similar features. You will not get an overwhelming consensus from the group as a whole as to which cards qualify for "prime" designation.. but that doesn't matter. It's "prime" if you feel you earned a high quality card that services your needs based on your usage and credit.
Typically, you will see the "big" names thrown in with "prime" discussions (i.e. Citi, BoA, Amex, Discover), but you will also find a number of people with bad deals on these cards, or bad experiences. You will also find a lot of people who consider certain credit union cards as "prime," specifically Navy Federal Credit Union, Pentagon Federal Credit Union, Pennsylvania State Educators Credit Union, etc (though you will also find plenty of people who do not feel these are prime cards, as well, or either [not sure since this is such a horrible run-on sentence]).
So, with your current credit scores, I would say a card with a manageable APR, no AF, and possibly some rewards or good balance transfer offers might be "prime" enough to be a goal.. Then once you get that, maybe one with great rewards will be your goal, and you will consider THAT prime... Then maybe one with a huge credit line and great customer service, and THAT might be prime...
YMMV, but we all wish you the best of luck on your journey!
(And FWIW, 650 these days typically doesn't qualify for the higher ends cards/limits/rewards/etc, but can get you a very good card [or two, or 40] that you can garden until your scores get a bit higher).
