A credit card can be a great tool to help you build credit. When used responsibly, you can make purchases, pay the balance in full and avoid interest, all while building a history of on-time payments that looks
A credit card can be a good tool for building credit if it’s used responsibly. A new immigrant without a credit history might find it tough to qualify for some credit cards. But there are options for people at the beginning of their credit journey. With asecured credit cardlikeCapital On...
Understanding Credit Before diving into the different strategies for building credit without a credit card, it’s essential to have a basic understanding of how credit works. Credit is a financial tool that allows individuals to borrow money or access goods and services with the promise of repaymen...
Here are tips on how to build credit without using a credit card, so you can improve your credit score over time.
NerdWallet's Best Credit Cards to Build Credit of June 2025 Chase Freedom Rise®: Best for No-annual-fee card with rewards Chime Secured Credit Builder Visa® Credit Card: Best for Easy account management and guardrails Discover it® Secured Credit Card: Best for Secured card with clear ...
Alternative: If you don’t want to open a Credit Builder Account or put down a $100 security deposit, consider the Chime Credit Builder Secured Visa® Credit Card, which uses your connected Chime checking account to secure your limit. Pros You can use the Credit Builder Account to open th...
You can certainly build credit without a credit card, but having one or more credit cards can be advantageous when you’re working to improve your credit status. Plus, they can be a convenient and easy way to add more accounts to your credit history even if you already have other types ...
Alternative: If you don’t want to open a Credit Builder Account or put down a $100 security deposit, consider the Chime Credit Builder Secured Visa® Credit Card, which uses your connected Chime checking account to secure your limit. Pros You can use the Credit Builder Account to open th...
While this strategy may come with some risks to your personal credit score, if you believe your teen is trustworthy enough to make the payments on a car loan, it can be a great way for them to establish credit without opening a credit card. They might also need a little help getting ap...
Opening a new credit card may be intimidating, but they offer a great opportunity to make on-time debt payments. Even if you charge just a single meal to your credit card each month and pay that debt off when it comes due, you'll contribute towards building your credit score. Get add...