3 Easy Steps to Establishing Good Credit From Scratch

While individuals with good credit can live relatively luxuriously on an average income, individuals with bad credit who earn the same amount have a notably lower quality of life. This is not only because they don’t have access to a line of credit, but also because it is much more difficult to be approved for loans, vehicle and home rentals and even job applications. Fortunately, establishing good credit from scratch is a relatively simple process that can be accomplished by following the three easy steps below.

Applying for a Credit Card

The first step in establishing credit is applying for a basic credit card with a low credit limit. Contrary to popular belief, financial institutions are much more likely to approve someone with no credit than to approve someone with bad credit. Most first-time credit cards have credit lines of about $500, but this credit limit can be extended after a couple of months of making timely payments. T

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Best Cash Back Credit Cards – Spring 2011 Edition

It’s been long overdue, but the list of the best cash back credit cards has finally been updated.

Is there a viable replacement for the sorely missed Schwab Visa card? What cards are worth looking at? Are there cards missing from the list? Check it out!

Chase Enhances Their Southwest Airline Rapid Rewards® Card Offer With 20,000 Bonus Points

Chase has brought a new offer to the table and enhanced the Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards® Credit Card by adding an extra bonus for new cardmembers. Chase is now introducing an updated version of the card called the Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card. This Card will offer customers the ability to get 20,000 points toward FREE FLIGHTS after their first purchase, along with No Blackout Dates, among many other perks!! Here are the highlights of the card:

  • New! Get 20,000 Points toward Free Flights after your first purchase!
  • No Blackout Dates, Unlimited Reward Seats, and Points Dont Expire.
  • Now you can redeem for International Travel.
  • Earn 2 Points per $1 spent on Southwest Airlines purchases.
  • Earn 2 Points per $1 spent on Southwest Hotel and Car Rental Partner purchases.
  • Earn 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
  • Get 3,000 Points every year on your Card member Anniversary thats equal to $50 toward a Wanna Get Away® Fare.
  • September 11th Security Fee applies.

Bonus Offer

This Card will offer new members the ability to get 20,000 points toward free flights after their first purchase. Yo

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3 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Max Out Your Credit Card

Every credit card comes with a credit limit. As long as you don’t go over your limit, there won’t be any penalties not from your credit card issuer anyway. Many credit card consumers don’t realize how bad it is to max out their credit card(s). If you have multiple cards, try to keep the balances evenly distributed amongst them, so you never run into this situation. Here are 3 reasons why you should never max out your credit card.

Hurts Your Credit Score One-third of your credit score depends on the “credit utilization ratio”, which is the amount you owe versus the credit line available to you. For example, if your credit card balance is $300 and your credit limit is $1,000, then your credit utilization is 30%. The lower this percentage is, the better your credit score will be. Experts recommend keeping your credit card balances below 50% of the available line of credit given to you. If you do

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Rent Now Included in Experian® Credit Reports

Good credit is a result of borrowing money and responsibly paying it back over time. One problem for new borrowers, college students, recent graduates and others with limited history is the difficulty in establishing credit when lenders frown upon people without any credit history – a vicious cycle of rejections. If you’ve never been approved for a credit card, mortgage or personal loan, a co-signer would be required for almost any type of request. But now, Experian® includes rental unit data into their company’s traditional consumer credit reports. They are the first and only major credit reporting agency to include residential rental payment stats in credit reports.

Benefit to Consumers

Thanks to the credit reporting agency Experian®, if you rent your home, your residential rental payments will now be recorded on your credit report. Pay on time and thi

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