Thursday, November 27, 2008

Rebuild Your Credit With Credit Cards

By Dan Moskel

Getting a credit card to help rebuild your credit history is a very wise decision. A credit card can help you create a positive payment history.

However you will only qualify for a sub prime credit card if you have a damaged credit score. This means your card will have an interest rate around 19%.

It is still important to remove bad credit items from your credit report. However it has been learned that after a bad credit item ages 4 years it will damage your score much less.

With your card you are going to have to pay an annual fee and around 19% APR. This is called a sub prime credit card because it is designed for individuals with a damaged credit history.

On your card you will be given a credit line of $300. Your other choice is to get a secured credit card.

With a secured card you will have to put an initial deposit down and how ever much your deposit is that will be your available credit. The benefit of a secured card is that they approve everyone.

With an unsecured card it will be instant approval and your payments and balance will be reported to all major credit bureaus. It is important to double check and make sure your credit card will report to all three credit bureaus.

In addition your credit will get the most benefit if you can keep your monthly balance at 10% of your credit limit. For example if your credit limit is $300 then you want your monthly balance to be $30.

This will show the bureaus that you use your credit, and you use it responsibly. In addition having this new line of credit will improve your ratio of available credit to debt. This is a very important factor when your score is calculated. It is the bureaus method of checking to see if you are in over your head.

The other alternative for a credit card is a shopping card. This card is only accepted through a designated catalog or through a website. These cards often only report to one credit bureau and have large fees.

You also can apply for a prepaid credit card however these cards typically do not report to a credit agency. However they do work like a bank account and if you are in chexsystems this is a good choice.

In sum we suggest a sub prime unsecured credit card to help rebuild your credit score. It will create a positive payment history and build positive credit. - 15224

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