SECURED CREDIT CARD
Secured credit cards are an excellent way of building your credit history. If you want one of these amazing cards you need to find a company that offers them.
Secured cards work by allowing cardholders to deposit cash in their credit card account. The lender of the card then gives the cardholder a credit limit equal to the amount of money they deposited in the account. For example if you deposit $500 in your account you get a credit card limit of $500. These cards are usually offered to people with bad or no credit because the cash deposit reduces the risk to the credit card issuer. So if the card holder can’t pay the credit card off then the lender can take the money from their deposit. The best secured credit cards should not have a fee.
Here are a few more things that you must know about these cards are:
- You eventually get your deposit back if you always pay your bill on time.
- Using your card responsibly can improve your credit enough to qualify for an unsecured card or various other credit cards that don’t need a deposit.
How secured cards work?
These cards work similar to the traditional and unsecured credit cards. Once you purchase anything through card: you receive a card statement and then clear debts within the due date. The one thing that you need to know before using these credit card is that you cannot use your cash deposit to make your credit card payments. The security deposit serves as an asset that reduces the financial risk to the lender because they have the option to recover delinquent payments from the funds in the cardholder’s security deposit which is held in a special type of savings account.
You can use them at any place wherever credit cards are accepted.
Using your card responsibly can build or rebuild your credit score. These cards are one of the best options to establish a credit history or repair a bad credit history.
Building credit history and having good credit is important in getting a good job and taking control of your personal finances.
How to use a these cards effectively?
Although you need a cash deposit to get these cards, they are best for rebuilding your credit score. Here’s how you can use your secured credit card effectively.
- Use your card responsibly. Moreover, make sure to use your card for one or two small purchases every month.
- Pay out completely every month before the due date. The chances of getting charged with any interest reduces to zero when you pay fully. Interest rates on secured cards are generally higher than those on unsecured cards.
- Keep an eye on your credit score over time. Ask your issues to upgrade your card to unsecured card when your credit score improves meaningfully.
Many people find that by using a secured card carefully, it takes only about a year to improve their credit score enough that they’re able to qualify for an unsecured card.
Best Secured Credit Cards
The best secured credit cards are below.
- First National Bank Secured Visa Card
- Discover it Secured Credit Card
- USAA Secured Card Platinum Visa
- Navy Federal Credit Union Rewards Secured Card
- SDFCU Savings Secured Visa Platinum Card
- Secured MasterCard from Capital One