Could anyone let me know what I should do if I have "no" credit history as opposed to "good" or "bad" credit history? It's very difficult to obtain a credit card, even though I'm in a well paying job. Any suggestions?
Hi, I had NO credit history at all, only thing I had was an account that I charged furntiture on and that was it. I tried First USA and several others, all saying they can't give b/c I don't have credit history etc. Well I applied and was approved for the Aria card from providian, and after that all the offers starting coming in. Now I know some here have not been happy with providian, but I have never had a problem with the Aria card. Of course providian mastercard, that's another story!
If you have a credit union at work, I would start there. Many credit unions offer Visa and MasterCard either on their own or through a consortium. Alternative, you could take out a small personal loan and repay it over a couple of months to get a positive trade line on your credit report.
Secured cards are not a bad way to go, either. Some of them will allow you up to 3 times your deposit. Some will send you your money back after a year, if you pay on time, and continue your credit line. A friend of mine went that way and he was very happy....the company was First consumers, I think.
Momof3, J.Edgar and Kristy have given you three viable options. If I had to choose, I would probably try a credit union first, if that didn't work, I'd try the secured card route. Providian is sort of hit and miss. Some people have had a great experience, others not so good. However, to Providian's credit, they seem to be improving (amazing how the DA investigating you can make you see the light!) By all means though, stay away from Cross Country Bank.
RE: No Credit History Momof3, I have a friend who was in a similar position to Jason last year and this was the result of his application to Aria. Dear XXXXX XXXXXXXXXX Thank you for applying for Aria VISA through the internet. We regret to inform you that we cannot open an account for you because we could not obtain a credit report in your name from the Credit Reporting Agency listed below. Experian National Assistance Center Apparently, that furniture account made all the difference in the world as it gave you a "credit history". He found the same result with Aspire Visa, only this time they quoted TransUnion. Funny thing on his second application to Aspire, (supposedly the easiest card to get and which publicly advertises that they do not discriminate against those with no credit history) he was rejected with an "insufficient credit history" when the truth of the matter is they were too disingenous to admit that they do not serve customers in New York because the rate of interest here is capped at 23.9%, while their's 'starts' at 27%. He finally picked up a secured card from Western Security Bank which led to department store credit from those offering instant credit if one has a valid credit card. Since then he has been receiving the usual crap offers from Premier, Providian and Aria (which he shreds) CCB (shreds into microscopic pieces ) as well as the rest of the 'usual suspects'
