Monday, September 14th, 2009

I was turned down for a credit card because the company said I have no credit history. How do I fix this?

fix credit history
Worried_about_car asked:


This stupid catch-22 sitaution for credit cards. I need a credit card to build my credit history, but companies won’t offer me a credit card because I don’t have credit history. Will having a savings and checking account and a job increase my chances of getting a credit card? If I get my credit card through my bank, will my chances increase?

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11 Responses to “I was turned down for a credit card because the company said I have no credit history. How do I fix this?”

lbigfella Says:
September 15th, 2009 at 9:02 am

to get a credit rating you need to like get one of those deals that the electrical stores give out like 12 months intrest free and ya get a new tv or something and pay that back in 3 months they no one will reject ure credit application (as long as u keep it clean)

markususa Says:
September 15th, 2009 at 11:47 pm

Believe it or not the best thing you can do is buy and pay for a car from one of these high finance used car places that will finance you there. I did this a few years ago, and I started getting Credit Card offers left and right!!!Try it it worked for me…good luck

purplelemonz Says:
September 16th, 2009 at 10:21 am

a good way to build up your credit is by take out a small loan and paying it off before its due. it helps to have some kind of collateral

sjh Says:
September 17th, 2009 at 12:06 am

Ok, most banks will give you a low-limit card through their institution to help you build credit. Also you could take out a small loan and make all the payments on time. Like the above said, most banks can offer you something low-no interest. Ask your banker to help you out. Just make payments and don’t pay anything off. When you do get a card make sure you positive credit is being reported to the credit companies. Sometimes only the bad is reported and you have to request the good be added as well.

dawnsdad Says:
September 17th, 2009 at 5:35 pm

You need to find a place that will extend you a small amount of credit. Buy a table and chairs from a furniture store or something like that. Another way to get credit (and a credit card) is to get a secured credit card. Most banks have them. You give them a set amount of money ($200 bucks or so) then they issue you a card with that limit. You cannot go over it. Then go ahead and make charges against it and make darn well sure that you make all payments when the bill arrives. That will give you a small bit of credit history and you will then be able to able and receive unsecured credit cards.

threskiorn Says:
September 19th, 2009 at 6:02 pm

Do not invest a lot of money in builing your credit — buying a car from some place with extravagant rates is not a good idea. Getting into debt, in general, tends to end up very badly. If you need a card for online shopping or small purchases, though, I would suggest starting with a secured credit card (going through your bank is a good idea) or getting a store credit card. Home Depot, for example, offers reasonable store credit cards. Make sure you spend very little and pay it monthly.

If it’s feasible, you might also try going (back?) to college. Credit card companies try to shove their products at students regardless of credit.

MAGICKMAN1055 Says:
September 21st, 2009 at 1:00 pm

I DONT KNOW HOW OLD YOU ARE BUT ASUME YOU ARE IN LATE TEENS. YOU CAN USUALLY GET A CREDIT CARD IN YOUR NAME IF YOU GET A PERSON SUCH AS A PARENT TO CO-SIGN FOR YOU. WHEN YOU HAVE A CO-SIGNER,THEY ARE SAYING THAT THEY WILL MAKE YOUR PAYMENT IF YOU DO NOT.GET A CARD WITH ABOUT A $500.00 LIMIT.BUY A FEW THINGS WITH IT THAT YOU WILL PAY OFF WHEN THE STATEMENT COMES AT THE END OF THE MONTH.DO THIS FOR AWHILE THEN TRY AGAIN ON YOUR OWN IN ABOUT 6 MONTHS TO A YEAR TO GET A CARD BY YOURSELF.IF YOU HAVE NOT MISSED ANY PAYMENTS YOU SHOULD HAVE NO TROUBLE GETTING A CARD WITHOUT HAVING A CO-SIGNER.

Michelle Says:
September 22nd, 2009 at 12:18 pm

believe me you do not want a CREDIT CARD they just ruin your credit trust me!! when you get credit keep it good so you can get nice things later on in life like your dream car …

harvny51 Says:
September 25th, 2009 at 6:30 am

get a electrolux vacuum cleaner, pay it off, they are good for new credit, or a ull get credit card and get help or oreck vacuum, when paid they give small card for credit. pay on time!

Credit Guru Says:
September 26th, 2009 at 11:35 am

Really bad info again.

Yes you should get a checking/savings account with a debit card. It won’t help your credit but is important in learning financial management.

This is one of the most common questions on this board.

How do I build/establish credit?

First off you need to be educated about how credit works in the U.S. Every credit decision a lender makes is driven by FICO credit scores. You can go to and look in the Credit Education section to learn how FICO credit scores are determined. To build your credit you have to place positive credit items on your file that will report positively for 6-12 months minimum. If you want your credit to be in the Excellent category (FICO score 720+) then your goal should be to have 3-6 revolving accounts(dept. store, gas cards, Visa. etc.) and 1-2 installment loans(car, mortgage) that are reporting positively.

I would start out with a Bank of America or Wells Fargo secured Visa card. Both banks have great programs with low annual fees, low starting amounts ($300.00) and no junk fees. After 12 months of positive on time payments you will graduate to an unsecured status. Then you will probably be approved for other cards such as dept. store and gas cards.

Good Luck

Kevin B Says:
September 26th, 2009 at 4:18 pm

You’ll want to open a secured account at either Bank of America or Wells Fargo where you will put money into a savings to act as collateral. When you close the account you’ll get that money back plus some interest. Stay far away from companies offering a secured account that don’t ask for a deposit. They will give you a card with a full balance! If the card has a $200 balance, you will owe $200 of the bat. They say that they’re doing you a favor because if you pay them on time you’ll get better credit. Your credit score is determined by a large part by your balance-to-credit limit ratio. The lower you keep your balances compared to your credit limits, the better your score will be. Using these scam cards you are giving yourself a ratio of 100%! Stay with the big dogs or your trusted local bank if you go with a secure account. Keep your ratio under 50% and your payments on time and you’ll get offers for unsecured credit cards in 6 months or less. Get two or three of those (keeping them under 50%) and you can close the secured account, take your deposit, and buy yourself a “congratulations” gift with the $200.

This is copied and pasted from another question I answered. The credit guru above also has good advice.

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