It can be pretty tough when your credit is bad and it is next to impossible to get credit when you need it. Most major credit card companies will not talk to you, and a lender - well, forget about it. There is a way, though, out of the tough situation with a prepaid credit card. Here is what you can do with a prepaid credit card to help rebuild your credit score.
Need A Bad Credit Rating
One of the best things about a prepaid credit card is that it was designed for people with bad credit. In fact, that is one of the qualifications. There will not be any check on your credit rating, or your employment. Anyone can get one of these credit cards, but you will need to deposit a cash amount equal to the credit limit you want. This lets you know that it operates on a debit basis - no actual credit is given.
Get A Card That Reports To A Credit Bureau
Not many prepaid credit cards actually report to a credit bureau. That is, however, the kind of card that you want to get. While others make having cash handy, it really will not help you (or anyone with bad credit) in the long run.
Watch The Fees
Prepaid credit cards often come with a number of fees. You should compare one card with another in order to get the fewest fees. In order to get a prepaid credit card that reports to a credit bureau, you will probably have to pay an annual fee - could be as high as $100.
Look For Benefits
Most prepaid cards do not come with any benefits, but some do. You can get points, like on a regular credit card, that are useable for a few benefits - like free phone time, and more.
No Credit Card Abuse
Another good thing about these credit cards is that you can never go over your limit, or have to pay any late fees or interest. (Hey, this is sounding better all the time). This means that if it reports to a credit bureau, that it would be impossible to get a lower score than what you may already have with this kind of card.
Easily Put Cash On Your Card
Most prepaid cards will allow you to easily put credit on it from just about anywhere. You can even put your paycheck onto it by Direct Deposit.
Use It Like A Credit Card
A number of these prepaid credit cards can be used in the same way as a credit card. You can set up automatic bill payments, purchase things online, or over the phone. If you want this feature, however, be sure that the ad says that you can do this.
Like any other credit card, you will want to compare features and fees in order to find the best prepaid credit card for your needs. While most of them are similar, the fees vary widely. Since no qualifications are needed, why not get the best?
Rebuild Your Credit Cards
There are millions of Americans that are in debt and a lot of them are doing nothing about it. Instead, they sit back and whine to others on why they can't rebuild credit or make any progress on their debt? Why is this? It's simple; these are the unmotivated, lazy people of America. They aren't taking any steps to make progress on their bills and instead of doing something, they would rather complain until your ear falls. Guess what America!? No one cares if you're in debt, join the crowd.
Now, if that isn't enough to bring you into reality, I don't know what is. I'm going to show you a few tips on how you can rebuild your credit and what you should look out when you do decide to rebuild it. I'm going to talk to you a little bit about secured credit cards. If you don't know what a secured card is, it's a credit card designed for people with bad credit who are looking to rebuild or reestablish their credit. Just like a credit card, the only difference is that this card will require that you have a deposit on your account so that if you don't pay your bills, the credit card company will have money to take from you without have to worry about trying to get it out of you.
Here are a few things you should look out for when you do decide that you want to apply for a secured credit card –
The annual fee – The annual fee is one the biggest fees on a secured credit card. While it's rare to find a card with no annual fee, it's possible but make sure that when you do apply that you're aware of the annual fee. This is the fee you're going to have to pay regardless of what you do with your card. As long as the card is active, you'll have to pay it.
Deposit - As mentioned above, you're going to have to give the credit card company a deposit in order to open the card. Since your credit will be fairly bad, this is the reason they will ask for it. Make sure that you're aware of how much you're going to have to deposit in order to open the card. This will range anywhere from a few dollars to as much as a few hundred dollars.
Do they report? – One of the reasons you'll be getting a secured credit card is because you'll want to rebuild your credit. You're going to want to make sure that these cards report to all of the three credit bureaus. When you apply, make sure that you check out to see if they do. This will always be in the terms. If the card doesn't, you'll want to look elsewhere.
When it comes to rebuilding your credit, this is one option in doing so. Make sure that you follow these tips above and do your research. If you can accomplish this, you'll be able to rebuild and reestablish your credit in no time!
Both Joseph Kenny & Tom Tessin are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Joseph Kenny has sinced written about articles on various topics from Credit Cards, Debt Consolidation and Credit Cards. Joe Kenny writes for the Credit Card Guide, offering views on in the UK, visit them today for some great. Joseph Kenny's top article generates over 550000 views. to your Favourites.
Tom Tessin has sinced written about articles on various topics from Mileage and Fuel, Education and Finances. Find and more of Tom's work at FINDsecuredcards.. Tom Tessin's top article generates over 673000 views. to your Favourites.
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