If you're one
of the millions looking to rebuild your credit out there,
you may want to resort to a secured credit card. If you're
already familiar with the cards, that's great! If you're
not, I'll give you a quick cliff note version.
A secured card is just like a regular credit card but you're
going to have to place a deposit on the account before you
can use it. Whatever you put on the card is what your credit
limit will be. For example, if you place $500 on the card,
you can only spend $500. The nice thing about these cards
are that you still pay your bills like you would with a
regular card but if you don't pay your bill on time, they
will dive into your account and take what they need.
The nice thing about these types of cards is that most of
them do report to the credit card bureaus. You have to
remember that if they don't report to the bureaus, you're
not going to be able to build your credit up. There are
scams out there that you want to look out for such as a card
without a major logo. If the card doesn't have a Visa or
MasterCard logo, you'll want to skip over it right away
because you're most likely asking for trouble.
How do I know if it's reporting to the bureaus?
This question is fairly simple to answer. What I tell people
when they are looking for a card is to call up the credit
card company first. What you want to do is ask them all the
questions you have and of course, they are going to give you
answers that you need. If they don't report to the bureaus,
once again, look for another card because it won't be worth
your time.
If you don't want to call up and wait on hold, I don't blame
you, who does? The next step you'll want to take is by
looking at the credit card application itself. Look at the
points and see what the card offers. Any good secured card
is going to point out that they report to the main bureaus.
Many people are in the same boat that you are. They want a
card that helps them build their credit. Why would they want
a regular card that does absolutely nothing for their
finances?
Most of the cards that you find online do report but once
again, as long as you follow the tips above, you won't have
a problem finding a good card. You just want to make sure
that the card has low fees and you can use it at just about
any location. As long as it has the major logo from Visa and
MasterCard, you'll be fine. If it doesn't, again, look for
another card. There are a ton of cards out there. Check with
your local bank, online and other places. As long as you do
your research, you'll have no problem finding the perfect
secured credit card.
Honoring yourself with your money
Do not just work hard and smart for the sake of earning
loads of cash, treat yourself well with your money.
Being a miser will mean that your sweat will solely benefit
others that never sweated a drop for it!
Nevertheless, I do not mean that you become extravagant or
satisfying your every whim, God has given you freedom in the
choices you make.
More often than not, lots of money makes people proud and
they then tend to be disrespectful to their own existence.
What good is your money if it brings you dangerous diseases,
drug addictions, embarrassments, loneliness, and death among
others?