Secured Credit Cards
No Credit, Bad Credit
Secured credit cards are not just helpful to people with bad credit. A young person will have no credit history when starting out in life. A divorced person might have damaged credit as a result of actions by the former spouse.
There are many life situations that could adversely affect credit histories, and secured credit cards provide a way to establish good credit or rebuild credit. Be careful, though. These cards have higher interest rates, so pay off the balance every month or you will be spending a lot on interest. If building or repairing credit, paying off the full amount is a good habit to get into.
Kinds of Secured Credit Cards
Pre-paid cards are self-explanatory. Stored value cards depend on you to determine your credit limit. The amount you send into your card account is the amount you can spend, minus fees. Perhaps the most common credit cards for consumers with no or bad credit, are secured credit cards.
Because the card holder is considered a risk, these cards have several expenses and requirements that unsecured cards don't have. The holder must open a savings account to guarantee that there are sufficient funds to cover any charges. In addition to the higher interest rates, secured credit cards have annual fees. However, with all the expenses, these cards provide a way for consumers to establish a good credit history.
