Anybody know their credit score?

[Amaris]

Wow, that's nuts. I actually got denied a Sears card, too. I've heard it's one of the more difficult cards to get approved for.

I don't even know what to tell ya.

I'll just wait until I can get a job again, save up some money, and apply for a Capital One card. I could probably get one, and their rates are supposed to be decent, even for people like me with bad credit. I really do want to fix my credit score. I hate it, but if I want a house, I have no choice. If I want a car newer than 1999, I have no choice. A better job? No choice. They check your credit when you apply for a job. It's become such an integral part of every day society, I miss out on any chance of fiscal solvency if I don't remedy the problem as soon as possible.

 

[RoJoHen]

Ah, yeah, having a job would probably be helpful.

 

[Mr Awe]

As far as I know, bank cards don't build credit. Other than that, my credit is so poor (through measures beyond my control in most cases), getting such a card is beyond probable.

You have to be careful with your terms. Banks cards can be anything. All credit cards are issued by a bank. Debit cards are also bank cards. I suspect that you are referring to debit cards, which don't build a credit history.

There's nothing so mysterious about building a good credit history. Use them responsibly. Never miss a payment. And prefereably, pay them off in full every month. If you do that, you'll have a very good credit score. There are ways to tweak it here and there (leave open an older account that you don't use anymore) but if you follow the basic principles, you'll be fine.

Even Propita has done it. She has a mystery thing about a credit ratio but having a score over 800 is very good. So, who knows what that is about but she has a good score, probably just by following the basic principles.

Also, don't bother with those store cards. They're not worth it. Stick with the major credit cards and you can use them at the stores.

Mr Awe

 

[Lindley]

I looked at Capital One's site, and also at another site listing cards for people with "No Credit History" (or limited, in my case).

Trouble is, all of those cards seem to have an annual fee. My one no-go criteria is, I will not get a card with an annual fee.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

I looked at Capital One's site, and also at another site listing cards for people with "No Credit History" (or limited, in my case).

Trouble is, all of those cards seem to have an annual fee. My one no-go criteria is, I will not get a card with an annual fee.

That pretty much rules you out for every card designed for someone in your situation. To get an unsecured card, it's gonna take an annual fee. Of course, you could always get a secured one instead.

 

[propita]

There's nothing so mysterious about building a good credit history.

...

Even Propita has done it. She has a mystery thing about a credit ratio but having a score over 800 is very good. So, who knows what that is about but she has a good score, probably just by following the basic principles.

"Even Propita has done it"? "Even"? Hey!

Yeah, that credit ratio of 4% being deemed "high" is a mystery, but whatever, right?

I agree with your 'basic principles'--or what I'm assuming they are: have only a few credit cards; have no card charging an annual fee; pay every card off each month in full; don't charge anywhere near the limit. I realize this can't work for some, and falls apart completely in an emergency situation.

 

[RoJoHen]

don't charge anywhere near the limit.

This is the one that bugs me, especially concerning my Best Buy card. The whole reason I got the damn thing was so that I could make large purchases (like my new TV a few months ago).

 

[propita]

don't charge anywhere near the limit.

This is the one that bugs me, especially concerning my Best Buy card. The whole reason I got the damn thing was so that I could make large purchases (like my new TV a few months ago).

OOH! A new tv that costs a lot of money! Details?

When our big-screen (but not a thin-screen) goes, I told Hubby he could get nearly whatever he wanted. Not 3D, though. I don't see the need for that. But the prices of truly huge screens (~60") have come down so much from what they were, it's amazing.

 

[RoJoHen]

My old TV broke in he U-Haul as I was moving, so I had to replace it. I ended up getting a pretty sweet deal on a 50" TV (it was $700 marked down from $1200). Still, my card has a $1000 limit. I just don't see the point of having that limit if I'm not allowed to use it to its fullest potential by buying new shiny things!

 

[Mr Awe]

There's nothing so mysterious about building a good credit history.

...

Even Propita has done it. She has a mystery thing about a credit ratio but having a score over 800 is very good. So, who knows what that is about but she has a good score, probably just by following the basic principles.

"Even Propita has done it"? "Even"? Hey!

Yeah, that credit ratio of 4% being deemed "high" is a mystery, but whatever, right?

I agree with your 'basic principles'--or what I'm assuming they are: have only a few credit cards; have no card charging an annual fee; pay every card off each month in full; don't charge anywhere near the limit. I realize this can't work for some, and falls apart completely in an emergency situation.

Haha, sorry, only meant that in the context of not understanding exactly what goes into a credit score, which is fairly typical.

Sounds like you do a great job at managing your finances. And, yes, I think those basic principles are enough to generate a good credit score even without knowing the mysterious calculations that they use!

Mr Awe