Everyone likes to pull out that flashy silver and black card that shows their status in society. Even though the name suggests only a millionaire can have one, they're actually not that hard to get. The 2 main things that have to be done are improving your credit score and establishing credit.
Your FICO, or Fair Isaac Corporation score should be around 600+ to qualify for a good card. The companies aren't looking so much for high salary as much as they are looking for a good stable paying history. After all, this is where they make their money. Someone who carries a balance and pays more than the minimum payment is more valuable than someone who doesn't let interest accrue. So the best thing you can do is add a couple dollars to your minimum payment on your current card and do this consistently over the course of a year. Every time you do this, the credit card company reports this to FICO and your score increases a small amount. You can check your credit score in the main menu of your online account. If you don't have any cards yet you can check it on different programs online through a search for free credit report.
Establishing credit is also important. I would suggest getting a fair credit credit card to start with to build your credit. The interest rates can be kind of high and the limits are low but it doesn't take long for the larger cards to see your record and start sending you offers. Even though it can be tempting to use your entire limit, I would also suggest you only use about 30 percent of the starter card to keep your revolving credit low. This is the amount that someone owes which is also something the card companies track.
If you can do these 2 simple things, it should take you no time at all to get your score up and qualify for a good card. I have included a link to a site which offers a good fair credit card to start with if you have been denied a platinum offer. There are also some very good offers for those with established credit histories. The main thing I always look for is annual fee's. A good offer will usually have an interest rate of 10% or below with no annual fee's. Another thing I check for are the rewards. I think gas rebates are an excellent benefit due to the increase in recent gas prices. You can use your card for gas purchases you have to make either way and then get cah back, so it is a no lose situation. The bottom line on getting the card you need though is to keep balances low and payments high and you'll qualify for almost any card available.
All rights reserved. Article may be reprinted as long as the content remains intact and unchanged and all links remain active.
About the Author
Kenneth James has written many articles on the credit industry and is the webmaster of a website offering news and information regarding credit cards. Credit Cards
No comments:
Post a Comment