As a college student, building your credit will make the loan processes easier for cars, homes, and other luxuries of life.
Here are 5 easy steps to building your credit score.
1) Get that Credit Card
When building a credit score from scratch, it is ideal to start by getting a secured credit card. According to NerdWallet, a secured credit card is that which requires a security deposit, thereby reducing risk to the issuer. to Credit Karma, suggests that the top three best credit cards for beginners are the Journey student rewards from Capital One, the Citi Rewards student card and a Citi Secured Mastercard. Getting a credit card is easy, but managing it is a huge responsibility. Allowing credit card debt to build could cause a financial disaster, so consider a joint credit card account with your parents or your guardian to learn good credit card habits.
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2) Get That Credit Builder Loan
A credit builder loan helps to build credit. Basically, money borrowed is held by the lender in an account and is not released to the borrower until its paid. The borrower pays back the money in installments, with interest, over a set period. According to Magnify Money this step forces the individual to save money because they are making payments into a savings account. This can be issued by a credit union.
3) Avoid Things You Can’t Comfortably Afford
Credit building is all about timely payments, things that can’t be afforded with a regular paycheck should most likely not be bought with a credit card because it would be hard to pay back at the needed time. Not being able to pay your credit card bills on time will cause a financial disaster. General rule: if you cannot afford it with cash, then you cannot afford it on credit.
4) Keep That Credit Account Open
No matter what the situation is, keep that credit account open. Closing the account will likely hurt your credit history and reduce the account age. Avoid Applying for multiple credit accounts because it temporarily drops the credit score. NerdWallet recommends spacing applications by about 6 months.
5) Always Check That Credit Score Report
A credit report, simply put, is a record of your past credit transactions and how you paid them back. This helps predict how credit will be handled in future. Monitoring credit prevents errors and gives an insight into an individual’s credit building efforts. There are several websites for a free credit score check without reducing your credit score. One site is Credit Karma.
A better score can unlock different opportunities for individuals in different aspects of life. Let’s build that credit score!