If the collection baddie on her report is very new, it will hurt her. if a few years old, not very much, from what I've learned off this forum. With a score of 698, that's pretty good, imo. If I had that score, and no cc's, I'd stay away from Amex & Discover, and apply for 1 prime lender like a bank, or Credit Union, say for example Bank of America, Chase, or Wells Fargo. Plus a Credit union like CCCU(that's the CU I'm going to be applying for. It's highly recommended here). Capital One would be another one. In any event, she needs to explore the possibilities, and the only way I know how is to apply. BUT WAIT! There IS the BoA's website where you plug in your personal info, and you can see, what, if any cc's you will be preapproved for. THAT'S a great place to start. Only to find the link. lol. I'll post when I find it. IMO, in all likelihood, she'll be approved, UNLESS the baddie is very recent. Good luck to her!