Category: Building Credit

How to Use Your Shopping Addiction to Build Credit

If you love to shop, you can use your fashion sense to build or even rebuild your credit.

Store-branded credit cards are some of the easiest cards to qualify for and are often extended to those who have bad credit because they have lower criteria than traditional credit cards. Using them, especially if you’re loyal to a particular store, can bring card rewards, discounts and, if you pay your balance off every month, better credit.

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Immediate Savings

In most cases, when you apply for a card, the retailer will offer a discount on that day’s purchase. Sometimes the discount will be extended to purchases made within a short time frame (24 hours, for example), as an incentive to spend more. The risk is that instead of saving money, you end up spending more than planned, so it’s wise to be wary.

Watch Your Credit Scores

When you open your new credit card, you may see a dip in your credit scores for two reasons: one, the inquiry created when the issuer checks your credit score, which may cause your scores to drop, though usually not more than a few points. Second, a new account with a balance is often seen as a risk factor. As long as you pay on time and keep your balances below 30% of your credit line, or ideally 10%, you could eventually see a slight rise because you’ll have a positive new credit reference, which is beneficial if you are trying to build or rebuild credit.

As you use your new card, you can track how your usage and payments are affecting your credit by signing up for Credit.com’s free credit report summary. In addition to getting two free credit scores, you’ll get your own credit report card that shows how you’re doing in five key areas on your credit report that also determine your credit score — payment history, debt usage, credit age, account mix and inquiries.

Know the APR

Interest rates for department store credit cards are almost always high, often between 19% and 22%, or more. If you carry a balance, the interest you pay will likely exceed the amount you saved with the discount. This means carrying a balance could hamper your goals, especially if you fail to make on-time payments.

Given store credit cards’ high APRs, you won’t want to go on a shopping spree with them, nor will you want to put more purchases on the card than your budget can handle. (For tips on cutting back without feeling deprived, you can go here.) That said, making a couple of small purchases a month, say, on home essentials or groceries, and paying them off quickly (and on time) will likely beef up your credit.

Before You Apply 

Before you fill out an application, you’ll want to know where your credit stands so you have a good sense of what type of card you might qualify for. Knowing your score will also inform your decision to apply for a card in general, as inquiries on your credit report can cause your score to take an unnecessary hit.

More on Credit Reports & Credit Scores:

  • The Credit.com Credit Reports Learning Center
  • What’s a Good Credit Score?
  • How to Get Your Free Annual Credit Report

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The post How to Use Your Shopping Addiction to Build Credit appeared first on Credit.com.

Source: credit.com

By February 2, 2021.    Building Credit, Credit Card Guide  , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,  

The Best Things to Charge on Your Credit Card When You’re Rebuilding Credit

Charging a few small, easy-to-pay-off items to your card each month can help you rebuild credit.

If your credit needs rehabilitation due to late payments, accounts in collections or other negative items, it might be time to rebuild. Rebuilding your credit requires an understanding of your current situation, identifying past mistakes and implementing the right strategies going forward.

Wise use of a credit card is one way to start. Surprising, right? But if you use that plastic correctly, it really can help you. Good credit card strategies include keeping a low balance, making payments on time and paying your balance in full each month. To do that, it’s best to start small and only charge things that won’t kill your credit building project before it takes off. (You can check on your progress with a free credit report snapshot on Credit.com.)

Here are a few things you can charge on your credit card to help you boost that score.

Gas

The cost of gas can add up, but if you already have room for gas in your monthly budget, you can charge your gas expenses and pay them off in full using the funds in your bank account. Some credit cards offer special cash back rates on gas purchases so you can earn a little money back in your wallet (although getting a new unsecured credit card might not be the best move for you at this stage as the inquiry will cause your score to take even more of a hit).

Groceries

Groceries are another staple you likely already have built into your budget. Instead of handing over cash or a check when you pick up the necessities for the week, charge your groceries to your credit card and pay those purchases off in full each month. There are several credit cards on the market that offer special cash-back rates on groceries, as well.

Streaming Services

Monthly streaming services usually cost less than $20 a month. You could conceivably set up your credit card to pay for a streaming service, pay it off in full each month and never use it for anything else.

Balance Transfers

If you have a large balance on a high-interest credit card, it could be damaging your credit score and affecting your ability to make your payment. If you have a lower interest credit card, you can transfer the balance and reduce the interest. If you can qualify, a card with a long 0% intro APR period can help you pay your balance off interest-free.

(Cheap) Dining & Recreation

It’s probably not a good idea to use your credit cards at the club or restaurants, as it’s easy for costs to spiral out of control. But if you’re on a date at the movies or taking the kids out for mini golf and milkshakes, low-cost dining and recreation purchases might be a safe bet.

Small Everyday Expenses

Sometimes you have to run into a local store for a roll of duct tape or some socks. Small everyday purchases can be fairly easy to pay off in full.

Using Your Credit Card Wisely to Build Credit

For the most part, small purchases you can afford to pay off each time the statement arrives are the best things to put on your credit card, as payment history is the biggest influencer of your credit scores. Plus, carrying a balance means you’ll be hit with interest and it will take you longer to pay down your balance.

But even relatively small purchases can threaten your credit if they pile up too quickly. (Credit experts recommend keeping your credit utilization ratio — that is, your amount of debt in relation to your credit limit — at 30%, ideally 10%.) So, a good practice is to treat your credit card like cash and only purchase things you can cover with available funds.

Have any questions about improving your credit? Ask us in the comments below and one of our credit experts will do their best to help.

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The post The Best Things to Charge on Your Credit Card When You’re Rebuilding Credit appeared first on Credit.com.

Source: credit.com

By January 18, 2021.    Building Credit, Credit Card Guide  , , , , ,