Quick question... Can anyone provide input on the "cut off" FICO score required for obtaining an unsecured card? I'm just over 600, and would like to get a card that doesn't force any upfront monies. What sort of limit would I expect? Which card would offer the higher CL? Thanks in advance... DB
Well, I have a 617 to 640 depending on the month and how many new cards I've gotten and their balances... when I started rebuilding 2 years ago I had no active credit lines and a recent bk. I got a Providian Visa w/500 credit line and a Capital One Visa w/300 credit line and a Household MC w/300 credit line. The terms were expensive. I don't know how low my credit score was when I got these cards, but it MUST have really sucked. I still had old accounts that were not updated and I was showing 30K in overdue credit (that wasn't because of the bk). Now that my scores are only in the low to mid 600s, I have gotten a Nextcard 750, a Target 300, and I've gotten within the last 6 mos Aria 1000. By the way, Providian will increase your credit lines pretty aggressively if you use the card every month and always leave a small balance on the card for the first year. Cap1 will give you better terms faster than Providian but their credit lines are MUCH more conservative. However, by really using my cards, I've worked from 1100 in available credit in Dec 1999 to 21K in avail credit now and growing. Once you have some active tradelines going you'll start being able to get better cards in a year or so. By the way, if your score is due to some derogs, also you may want to work on your reports. It really will help. Good luck. Hope this helps.
I'm guessing I had about a 580 when I got my first 200 Cap One account. unsecured but with a 59. annual fee and 19.8% interest. The terms are much much better now, just a year and half later. AnnMarie
