As Mrs. Pirz said, a secured credit card, if you can get it, is a great way to start. You put your own money into it. It is a way to establish responsibility with credit cards. One word of advice. If you are eventually able to get credit, just remember, going into deep debt is a trap. The way to stay in control is to keep your card or cards paid down or paid off. Otherwise you are just giving your money away to the already rich corporations by paying out hundreds of dollars in finance charges. Another thing to watch out for is high annual fees. You will need to put up with them at first, but once you have things under control, you will want to pay off and get rid of those cards as I am doing with a couple of mine.
Hi Monique. I used to be a bank teller, so I hope my advice helps you. Start with opening a bank account if you have not already done so. Get a checking and a savings account. Don't bother applying for their line of credit that they may offer you until later on down the line because you will get declined. While you are there, you should ask them for an application for a secured credit card. The way it works is that you put money into it. You make charges as you would with a normal card. You make monthly payments. After a certain amount of time has passed, the card company should determine that you have shown responsibility, and they should be able to turn it over into an unsecured card (a normal credit card), and add a small credit line to what you already have on the card. Do not apply for one that charges an application fee. Do expect an annual fee on any secured card. Watch the fine print for other fees. This is a great way to start to establish credit, but once you do have credit, stay in control. Credit cards can be a trap. Good luck.
