Methods For Building Good Credit History – You might have just gotten your first job. or migrated over to the US. Or possibly all of your purchases have been made with cash or debit cards. Perhaps you want to rebuild your credit after closing previous credit lines.
Lenders may believe you have a “thin file” in any of these scenarios, meaning a short or weak credit history. Though it can take some time, establishing a solid credit history is an investment that will pay off in the long run.
Methods For Building Good Credit History
1. Obtain One New Credit Card.
Even though you might not initially get the best interest rate on your first credit card, if you pay the full balance each month, you might avoid paying interest on your purchases. Making payments on time is also crucial because a solid credit history will show that you have made installment loans or credit card payments on time.
To ensure that your payment history is documented, make sure your account is reported to at least one of the three major national credit reporting agencies: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.
2. Use a Secured Credit Card
A secured credit card is another option to start building credit if you have no credit history. This substitute for a typical credit card needs a security deposit, which can range from $200 to $5,000 and may be equal to your credit limit. If the account defaults, the security deposit can be used to pay off any outstanding obligations.
Even if you use your secured card sparingly and keep your balance low while paying it off in full each month, you can start to establish a good credit history.
3. Not To Open Too Many Credit Card Accounts.
Yes, having a credit card and making on-time payments can help you create credit, but creating too many accounts could be detrimental to your efforts. Likewise, starting a lot of accounts rapidly may indicate risk to a lender and may even decrease the average account age in your credit report, which could be a significant determinant of your credit score.
Instead, do your study and identify the credit cards that best suit your spending style and lifestyle.
Conclusion
A credit history takes time to develop. But with the assistance of the aforementioned advice, you can start establishing credit right away.