Need tips for a friend

[mmoon24]

One of my co-workers has surprisingly never owned a CC in his life. Just always used his debit/checks to get around. When I started talking to him about how even some of the basic CCs can save you money in the long run (something is better than nothing) he got interested. He was asking about Secured CCs, which I've read is a great way to start out. I haven't asked about any loan histories, but I do know he's been with BoA for quite a long time. He also came from Nigeria about 10-12 years ago, so he has been in the US for a while.

I was originally going to recommend the BoA Travels Rewards or something along those lines. However, I don't want him to get denied or anything. What would be the best steps to take in ensuring he gets the best CC for his situation?

[parakleet]

It's hard to recommend CCs for someone without knowing more of their credit profile, information that he might not necessarily want to share with you. I'd say the best thing is to recommend that he check his credit reports to make sure he knows what's on them and see about checking for his credit scores to best gauge what cards he may qualify for. If he has an established relationship with BoA, it might benefit him to go speak with a banker in a branch.

[mmoon24]

That's what I figured. Pulling a credit report would be the best. I just happened to read a thread prior along the lines of how you need to actually have a CC to get a CR. Might've misread it though. Thanks for the info.

[kimmiller112]

Since he already banks at BofA, he may just want to go with their secured card, which should graduate to a regular card in a year.  If he has the money to do so, it will look better to have at least $2500 or more on that card instead of just $500.   Then he should wait at least 6 months (some credit card companies want to see a year) before apping for anything else.  Good cards for the next step to take are Discover It, Chase Freedom and perhaps an Amex, but it ultimately depends on what kind of cards he would be interested in (low APR, rewards, balance transfer).  When he is closer to that next step, we can help with suggestions.