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Establishing Credit

If you are new to the credit game, such as a recent HS graduate or divorcee, it is important that you establish good credit habits at the beginning of your credit-use life.

Good credit habits will help when you need to buy a home, apply for a key career position, start your own business, and manage your finances.

You can demonstrate your willingness to repay your debts by charging expenditures on your credit card and paying the full amount each month.

Use these steps to begin building a good credit report that will benefit you in future financing needs.

Character Building Plan (Step 1):

• Apply for a pre-paid credit card with optional credit reporting features.
  
  You do not need to have a credit history
  
  You can use your pre-paid like a regular credit card. Your purchasing limit is subject to the amount you load to the card.
  
  you can enroll and pick up your pre-paid card
  make sure you enroll into the Credit Builder Program so that your card use is reported to credit agencies for building your credit history
  
  Another option is to apply for a 1-2 gas cards from a major oil company. Many of these companies will extend limited credit for new-to-credit applicants:
  
  Oil companies:
  BP/Amoco
  Chevron/Texaco
  Conoco
  Exxon
  Shell
  
  
  
• Make all of your purchases (or gas) with your pre-paid or gas card.
  
  Since the pre-paid card is pre-loaded, your purchases are limited by the amount of cash you load to the card. This prevents you from falling into credit card debt.
  
  Continue this cycle every month for all of your gas card obligations.
  

Character Building (Step 2):

Not only do credit agencies report credit delinquencies, they also report any late or non-payments for rent, utilities, taxes, divorce support payments, or other obligations or contracts that you have entered into.

As you move through life, make sure that you make timely payments for all rents, utilities, taxes and other obligations.

Character Building (Step 3):

Maintain a spending budget in line with your income.
See our discussion on financial/budget management.

Include in your monthly budget a savings deposit of $50-75 per month. These savings will be used in Step 4.

Character Building (Step 4):

Continue Steps 1-3 for 6-12 months. Make sure that you pay your credit and other obligations on time and for the required amount.

If you can set aside at least $300-500 in your savings account, you might apply for a secured credit card from a lending institution and use it as a 2nd card along side your pre-paid card.

Using your secured credit card along with your pre-paid card will build your credit history faster.

The secured credit card is exactly like any other VISA or MasterCard. The card was designed for applicants who are trying to establish credit or repair bad credit.

Here is how it will work:

1. you will make an application for a secured credit card from a directory of bank issuers:
   
   link here for list of top secured cards
   
   
2. you will make a deposit into a savings account maintain by the card issuer
   
   
3. the issuer will then issue a credit card in your name with a credit limit equal to the amount of your deposit or greater
   
   
4. you will not be able to touch your savings deposit while you have your credit card — your savings will earn interest while it sits into the account
   
   
5. you can now make payments with your credit card.
   
   

Pay your budgeted living expenses, including your gasoline, groceries, utilities, etc., with your secured credit card. With each purchase, deduct the amount from your money account either by making a notation in your checkbook or laying cash aside.

see credit card purchase accounting below

Continue this monthly cycle for the next 6-12 months.

Character Building (Step 5):

Continue Step 4 for 12-24 months, making sure that you pay your credit and other obligations on time and for the required amount.

After about a year, your credit report will show a history of on-time payments. You will likely begin receiving credit card offers that offer incentives such as rebate and low-interest rate programs.

You may now replace your secured credit card with a card that offers the most attractive terms:
view our card listing to compare programs

View our credit card management program to ensure you manage your credit card use properly:
view credit card management

Sample of Credit Purchase Accounting

Let's begin with budgeted $200 deposit into your bank account for living expenses.

Bank Account	Credit Card	$Amt	Card Savings
$200

 

You use your secured credit card to purchase gasoline for $20. You will make the notation as follows:

Bank Account	Credit Card	$Amt	Card Savings
$200
$180	Gasoline	$20	$20

 

You will subtract $20 from your bank account and transfer the amount over to your card savings account. You will continue this accounting for every credit card purchase:

Bank Account	Credit Card	$Amt	Card Savings
$200
$180	Gasoline	$20	$20
$145	Groceries	$35	$55
$133	Film	$12	$67
$88	Home Supplies	$45	$112

 

Your accounting will show that you have a Bank Account balance of $88 — this is your remaining living budget. It also shows that you have credit card charges of $112 and allocated savings for the same amount.

Although your actual Bank Account balance is still $200, the $112 allocated savings is an accounting deduction that will be made available when your credit card charges come due.

Bank Account	Credit Card	$Amt	Card Savings
$200
$180	Gasoline	$20	$20
$145	Groceries	$35	$55
$133	Film	$12	$67
$88	Home Supplies	$45	$112
Balance
$88		$112	$112

 

Next, the card credit card statement comes in for $112. You use the Card Savings account to pay off your bill in full.

You can use a ledger book or Personal Financial Management software to manage your accounting.

We invite you to download FREE this guide for credit card budgeting and accounting. Click here.

 

The card issuer will bill you monthly listing your purchases and amount. Make sure you pay the amount in full 2-3 days prior to the actual due date (to ensure payment is received and processed).

You may make payment either by paper check, using your bank's online bill payment feature, or connecting to the card issuer's web site for account access and payment.