@Anonymous wrote:Hey guys, her credit limitthat she was approved for was actually $500 dollars!
The credit negatives were from her Equifax report. That is so crazy that even the credit bureaus can give you an inaccurate number. Absolutely wild how these credit bureaus are! This can seem like a maze but I know once I learn everything I need to know, I will be able to bless other people with this wisdom to help them. I thank God for you guys and your experience!
Unfortunately, Equifax sells both FICO and FAKO scores. The FICO scores are hard to find on their website. The FAKO scores are easier to find. Based on the comments she received with her credit report, it's likely that she pulled a FAKO score and FAKO advice.
She's likely to see a fairly significant FICO point increase with opening her first bank card. She does not need a store card for FICO. And you'll do fine with one card. DH (along with several others) had an EQ FICO with only one open revolving bank card. (He did, however have older closed bank cards). For data points, DH gained over 25 FICO points when opening his first CC, a few points when opening his second, and no point impact when opening his third.
When she has a chance, it's a good idea to pull a FICO score so she knows where she really stands. FAKO scores (even when you pay good money for them 
) can be off by as many as 100 points. The FICO score you pull here also comes with a helpful report specific to your credit file that helps you know the impact of opening a new account, and what score impact various different actions will have. Very helpful!