How to.......

When I turned 18, I was approved for a secured Credit Card. I had to put $250.00 down and had a $300.00 limit. I only used it for gas and as soon as I used it, I set the gas money to the side. When my bill came due I sent in the full amount and paid it off every time. Eventually they refunded my $250.00 and gave me a bigger allowance. Then you can't keep credit card offers AWAY! The rest of it is common sense really. If you borrow more than you can afford, obviously you'll go in debt.
 
When I turned 18, I was approved for a secured Credit Card. I had to put $250.00 down and had a $300.00 limit. I only used it for gas and as soon as I used it, I set the gas money to the side. When my bill came due I sent in the full amount and paid it off every time. Eventually they refunded my $250.00 and gave me a bigger allowance. Then you can't keep credit card offers AWAY! The rest of it is common sense really. If you borrow more than you can afford, obviously you'll go in debt.

I see that. I just got another mail reminder to sign up for Capital One, and I already called to opt-out, and the @!#% are still trying to get me to sign up. Well, it isn't gonna work, cause I know my limits.
 
When I turned 18, I was approved for a secured Credit Card. I had to put $250.00 down and had a $300.00 limit. I only used it for gas and as soon as I used it, I set the gas money to the side. When my bill came due I sent in the full amount and paid it off every time. Eventually they refunded my $250.00 and gave me a bigger allowance. Then you can't keep credit card offers AWAY! The rest of it is common sense really. If you borrow more than you can afford, obviously you'll go in debt.

You nailed it! The more optimal your credit score is, you become eligible to secure very low interest rates. Unfortunately, a good portion of people are borrowing beyond their means.
 
You nailed it! The more optimal your credit score is, you become eligible to secure very low interest rates. Unfortunately, a good portion of people are borrowing beyond their means.

Tell me about it, I remember when I first started building my credit and had a 600 most people wouldn't even TOUCH me! Now a days, a 600 is a good credit score... :shock: I look back and think man, if I had a 600 today, I'd be upset! Honestly if I went below 700 I'd be pretty upset.... :ugh:
 
Tell me about it, I remember when I first started building my credit and had a 600 most people wouldn't even TOUCH me! Now a days, a 600 is a good credit score... :shock: I look back and think man, if I had a 600 today, I'd be upset! Honestly if I went below 700 I'd be pretty upset.... :ugh:

Keep tabs on that, ID theft is an increased risk now that the commercial world and govt entities are becoming irresponsible with electronic medium security issues, and misplaced or trashed statements, invoices, etc. I would even shred credit card mailings, can't be too careless with personal info today. :/
 
Tell me about it, I remember when I first started building my credit and had a 600 most people wouldn't even TOUCH me! Now a days, a 600 is a good credit score... :shock: I look back and think man, if I had a 600 today, I'd be upset! Honestly if I went below 700 I'd be pretty upset.... :ugh:

Mine's quite high..... well over 900, but that's without a credit card and timely bill and rent payment. I just gotta keep doing that, and I'll be all right. In fact, I need to set up my next Comcast bill payment and rent payments soon. Better do that before I leave tomorrow.
 
Just my experience here okay? It is usually possible to join a Credit Union somewhere. They are a good place to start and I found them to be more personable and helpful to someone starting out. There are lots of ways to start getting credit though.
That stuff that comes in the mail I run it through the shredder without opening it. It is criminal the way some places sneak in high interest rates.
This is America - this wonderful country will help you be as dumb or as smart as you want to be. As sick or as wholesome. As broke or as rich. It really is amazing what you can do just by shopping for the best deal. That fine print you have to read it.
Maybe I sound light weight but I cannot imagine travelling somewhere without two credit cards. The whole process of ticket buying and car rental and all that, whoa. Lose one if only have one and you can end up skeerooed out there.
 
Just my experience here okay? It is usually possible to join a Credit Union somewhere. They are a good place to start and I found them to be more personable and helpful to someone starting out. There are lots of ways to start getting credit though.
That stuff that comes in the mail I run it through the shredder without opening it. It is criminal the way some places sneak in high interest rates.
This is America - this wonderful country will help you be as dumb or as smart as you want to be. As sick or as wholesome. As broke or as rich. It really is amazing what you can do just by shopping for the best deal. That fine print you have to read it.
Maybe I sound light weight but I cannot imagine travelling somewhere without two credit cards. The whole process of ticket buying and car rental and all that, whoa. Lose one if only have one and you can end up skeerooed out there.

......and that's why I mistrust credit cards. Those high interest rates would put me in too deep too quickly. I can make do with a simple debit card for bill payments and CERTAIN purchases that I'm not comfortable carrying a wad of cash around for. Now starting next year, I'm gonna start using my smartphone as an e-ticket for Amtrak, and that requires me to use my debit card to pay for the tickets, and I'll need to be prepared.
 
I remember being a few thousand miles from home and... I put my one credit/debit card into an ATM machine at driver through teller station at a bank... and I got my money and somehow, exhaustion, heat, strange place, who knows? I forgot to grab the card. I left. Ten minutes later I am doing the face palm, I hurry back, I think Thank God the Bank is still open. I go in ... those machines put your card out and then pull it back in if it times out. I say Hi I left my card in the ATM... and they said yeah we got it and... We SHREDDED it.. Huh? Ten minutes. I said you gotta be kidding and they said that is Bank policy.

Two cards in separate places on your person learned the hard way.
 
There's a new one at the ATM now where they make you put in the ATM card then take it out before you do anything else. That's new to me and that's a good preventive measure for not forgetting your card.
 
There's a new one at the ATM now where they make you put in the ATM card then take it out before you do anything else. That's new to me and that's a good preventive measure for not forgetting your card.

Chase Bank already has their customers do this, for that reason.
 
Actually, it's just like casinos and people who gamble. Lenders don't want winners, they want losers. They make more off the guy who misses payments than they do on the guy who doesn't.

The banks are not your friends. In the past, if people were nice enough to give the banks money, they made a profit by wisely lending that money. Today, they make profits on the backs of people's mistakes.

The guy that shops in the thrift store is smarter than the guy who took out the loan for the Porsche.
 
Actually, it's just like casinos and people who gamble. Lenders don't want winners, they want losers. They make more off the guy who misses payments than they do on the guy who doesn't.

The banks are not your friends. In the past, if people were nice enough to give the banks money, they made a profit by wisely lending that money. Today, they make profits on the backs of people's mistakes.

The guy that shops in the thrift store is smarter than the guy who took out the loan for the Porsche.

I somehow had a feeling the bank kept hoping I was gonna make a mistake someday. Well guess what? I only made one in my nearly 4 years of having a bank account, and that's pretty good. I have an option in my account that allows the bank to charge me $34 if I withdraw or use my debit card with no money in the bank, and I haven't yet used that option, and would only do so in an EXTREME emergency.
 
that intresting and informitve website Mark....
i had problems when i went to Australia and NZ seven years ago and i still suffering for it it be another three years before i free....i tore my card up but thinking of getting another one just to buy monthly shopping or internet shopping,i putting ceiling of 500quid on it...been told pay off everymonth that ok but if have month i dont use it do i still pay and have double following month to spend....i wish no need one but going out shopping getting difficult, so get Tesco do free delivery,knowing what i am like i half dreading card...stupid
 
that intresting and informitve website Mark....
i had problems when i went to Australia and NZ seven years ago and i still suffering for it it be another three years before i free....i tore my card up but thinking of getting another one just to buy monthly shopping or internet shopping,i putting ceiling of 500quid on it...been told pay off everymonth that ok but if have month i dont use it do i still pay and have double following month to spend....i wish no need one but going out shopping getting difficult, so get Tesco do free delivery,knowing what i am like i half dreading card...stupid

I'm glad I was able to help. That makes me happy.
 
Mine's quite high..... well over 900, but that's without a credit card and timely bill and rent payment. I just gotta keep doing that, and I'll be all right. In fact, I need to set up my next Comcast bill payment and rent payments soon. Better do that before I leave tomorrow.

You can't have well over a 900 or even over 900 with FICO score. ( The main score 99% of people look at and what you will see checking your credit through Equifax, Experian or TransUnion. ) The maximum credit score you can have through FICO is 850. Also, it is nearly impossible to carry an 850 as revolving accounts ( credit cards ) and new loans lower your score before raising it.

Also, if you're renting an apartment as you've said in previous threads... those don't boost your credit. They only report if you default and are evicted, same with cable companies. See, you have credit credit, and you have utility credit, and even car insurance credit ratings. Your utility credit and car insurance credit are what places like Comcast and Geico consider your risk to be a prompt payer, determining your deposit. Some people with insurance companies have to put down 1st and last months insurance payment or 2 months, some don't. Same with cable and utilities, some have deposits and some don't depending on your utility credit rating. They do not report monthly payments ( apartments, utilities or car insurance ) to your credit score, they do not help you in any way. ( Except assuring you don't get evicted and that you have cable and electric ) Debit cards and having a bank account also does not help your credit score. Only if you go negative and fail to pay it does it hit your credit score negatively. However, it does not help it positively... It just doesn't.

So you see, the only way you could have "Well over 900" which I have to just tell you that you're full of beans, would be in your Vantage Score credit score. ( Which hardly ANYONE looks, checks or uses Vantagescore on credit checks or loan assessments, they use FICO. ) The max VantageScore credit is 990 and it is incredibly rare to have over a 950 Vantagescore rating. If you were to apply for a loan at a bank, they go off FICO, again... Vantagescore is known about and sure it's used, but it's not something that's used on a regular basis and won't even pop up on most credit check sites that you use. Even to have a score of 850 FICO is incredibly rare. Anything above an 830 is still considered incredibly hard to come by. You stated you've never had credit cards in previous threads and you go cash only and were considering cards. I will tell you right up front you have nowhere NEAR perfect credit if you haven't held at least one credit card in your life time for a minimum of two years. To have any significant credit assistance, you need 2 years of solid payments to make a difference. Even if you had a car loan and a co-signer to assist you in raising you score or "piggy backed" on someone else's credit card for assistance, it would still be impossible to pull off such a rating. To pull an 850 FICO or anywhere over a 950 Vantage, you'd have to have a minimum of 20 years credit history. Being you said you just hit 30, I don't really see this as possible. You should probably do some research before making such outrageous claims. I'm just going to have to say you're a liar liar pants on fire on this one. ( My best friend works as a senior loan officer for JP Morgan and Chase banks, I've spent a lot of time talking with her on this boring stuff. )

To get close to 850 (there is no guarantee of getting to 850), you need this:

0. Absolutely no negs (no lates, collections, public records, NOTHING),

1. Around 40 years of credit history,

2. A healthy mix of credit (Mortgage, more than 2 different unsecured credit cards, e.g. MC, V, D, Am3X),

3. Close to 800 perfect payment instances in your payment history. If you have 10 trade lines, and you utilize them regularly, and they each report "OK" every month, and you have been doing this for 7 years, you will get close to 800 OK payment instances ( 10*12*7 = 840),

4. High credit limits, low utilization. Balances on no more than 2-3 cards - my guess,

This was sent to me in an email from my friend asking about this. You have some mortgages and stuff hiding out there? :shock:

In case that wasn't enough, here's these for you to further prove your story is not true...

http://www.gobankingrates.com/credit/is-an-850-credit-score-possible/

http://www.nasdaq.com/personal-finance/achieve-the-perfect-850-credit-score.stm ( this says credit accounts open 10 or more years and a variety of loans such as mortgages, credit cards, loans ect. ect.

http://credit.about.com/od/creditscorebasics/f/What-Is-The-Maximum-Credit-Score.htm

I could go on, but I won't. I'm sorry that I had to go and get all lengthy on this... I just don't like when people throw stuff out there that's impossible to talk themselves up or make themselves seem all high and mighty or whatever. I prefer people be themselves, honest and a good person. You could have a crap credit score, and as long as you're honest and a good person, you're great in my book. No need to go fabricate stuff.
 
Keep tabs on that, ID theft is an increased risk now that the commercial world and govt entities are becoming irresponsible with electronic medium security issues, and misplaced or trashed statements, invoices, etc. I would even shred credit card mailings, can't be too careless with personal info today. :/

Oh don't worry, I am overly careful. :P I do all paperless statements with my bank, loans and credit card. Anything that does come in I shred and then I burn it at my parents. :D ( Probably too paranoid, but I've worked incredibly hard on my credit score! ) :D
 
You can't have well over a 900 or even over 900 with FICO score. ( The main score 99% of people look at and what you will see checking your credit through Equifax, Experian or TransUnion. ) The maximum credit score you can have through FICO is 850. Also, it is nearly impossible to carry an 850 as revolving accounts ( credit cards ) and new loans lower your score before raising it.

Also, if you're renting an apartment as you've said in previous threads... those don't boost your credit. They only report if you default and are evicted, same with cable companies. See, you have credit credit, and you have utility credit, and even car insurance credit ratings. Your utility credit and car insurance credit are what places like Comcast and Geico consider your risk to be a prompt payer, determining your deposit. Some people with insurance companies have to put down 1st and last months insurance payment or 2 months, some don't. Same with cable and utilities, some have deposits and some don't depending on your utility credit rating. They do not report monthly payments ( apartments, utilities or car insurance ) to your credit score, they do not help you in any way. ( Except assuring you don't get evicted and that you have cable and electric ) Debit cards and having a bank account also does not help your credit score. Only if you go negative and fail to pay it does it hit your credit score negatively. However, it does not help it positively... It just doesn't.



So you see, the only way you could have "Well over 900" which I have to just tell you that you're full of beans, would be in your Vantage Score credit score. ( Which hardly ANYONE looks, checks or uses Vantagescore on credit checks or loan assessments, they use FICO. ) The max VantageScore credit is 990 and it is incredibly rare to have over a 950 Vantagescore rating. If you were to apply for a loan at a bank, they go off FICO, again... Vantagescore is known about and sure it's used, but it's not something that's used on a regular basis and won't even pop up on most credit check sites that you use. Even to have a score of 850 FICO is incredibly rare. Anything above an 830 is still considered incredibly hard to come by. You stated you've never had credit cards in previous threads and you go cash only and were considering cards. I will tell you right up front you have nowhere NEAR perfect credit if you haven't held at least one credit card in your life time for a minimum of two years. To have any significant credit assistance, you need 2 years of solid payments to make a difference. Even if you had a car loan and a co-signer to assist you in raising you score or "piggy backed" on someone else's credit card for assistance, it would still be damn near impossible to pull off such a rating. I'm sorry, I'm just going to have to say you're a liar liar pants on fire on this one. ( My best friend works as a senior loan officer for JP Morgan and Chase banks, I've spent a lot of time talking with her on this boring stuff. )

Here's the thing--I was attempting to apply for a hotspot at a Sprint store over on Broadway, and they used a couple of credit companies based in California, one of which starts with Trans-something. The other I don't remember, but they didn't use the usual credit companies to check my credit.

Yes, I DO have Comcast-- been paying for that on time for nearly 2 years, and never have had an issue. Same goes for my rent and my phone, all of which have never been outstanding, and in reality, I've never been late with ANY of my payments.
 
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