Secure Credit Cards

Build Your Credit History

Why secure credit cards? Ok, so you either have no credit or bad credit. You can’t get a loan or a credit card as all the banks would run you away.  The banks really don’t look at the reason whether it be from a nasty divorce or foreclosure.

Sometimes bad things happen to good people and rebuilding a better credit history can be a real challenge. Without proper credit, you can be denied everything from a car loan to an apartment or even a job.

The key is for you to demonstrate on-time monthly payments on a credit card in order to re-establish that important credit history.

So How Can Someone Who Cannot Get a Credit Card Start Rebuilding Their Credit?

That’s where secure credit cards comes in. Credit cards that are secured are a great tool for you if you have low credit or no credit. This type of credit card offers you the opportunity to re-establish your credit history thus works towards improving your credit score. 

After our credit nightmare, we started with 2 secure credit cards. We still have both cards, one of which is no longer secured. They have been instrumental in creating a positive credit history.

They are easy to apply for. You make a deposit, usually between $250-$2500, into an FDIC-insured account that acts as a security deposit. The security deposit cannot be touched for a certain period of time. Many credit unions offer this type of program and some banks.

You can then use the card like any other credit card. You make purchases anywhere that credit card is accepted or take cash advances.

The only difference is that you have the deposit backing up the card. Your credit limit is based on your deposit amount. You still make payments on a monthly basis for whatever balance you have and just in case you default, the bank has your deposit to fall back on. 

Payments are usually reported to all three major credit bureaus (TransUnion, Experian and Equifax) so you can begin to re-establish your credit history immediately.

The Difference Between a Bank Secured Card and One From a Credit Union.

Some secure credit card programs from banks do not require a credit check or even a checking account to apply, while others do. Typically there will be fees associated with this type of card.  Your security deposit is not released until the card is closed. Some of you may prefer to go this way as its easier and less hassle.

A credit union will check your credit but may not charge a fee. Some credit unions will require up to 125% of the credit limit you want.  However, the benefit is that most credit unions will release the security deposit after a year or two of good payment history.

We used two secure credit cards to re-build our credit history. One from a bank and one from a credit union.

Building good credit is critical at a time when credit is getting harder to obtain. This type of credit card allows the you to build good credit while enjoying all the benefits of a credit card.

Read more to Fix Your Credit Score

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