Everyone enters the world with no credit. But we live in a world of debt – through credit cards, loans, mortgages and more. Our credit score becomes an important part of our lives, and, depending on how we handle debt, we can have a good or bad one. Wherever you are in your credit journey, you may be thinking about graduating from using cash. How do you know the best credit card for you? First, you need to know your credit score. Check it out online, and we’ll break down which type of card you need.
If you want to get out of credit card debt …
It would be best if you looked at balance transfer cards. Many of them have 0% APR (annual percentage rate) for a set amount of time. If you have debt, you should be fundamentally driven by the lack of interest. It will help speed up the process of paying down that balance.
If you have no credit history …
If you have a credit score of zero, you have to start somewhere; a good credit score helps you do important life things, such as renting an apartment or avoiding certain security deposits. But how do you know which card to choose? You’ll need a secured card. This means you pay a security deposit, and in case you don’t miss payments, they’re able to take that money away. Once they trust you, they’ll let you graduate to an unsecured card
If you have a pretty good credit score …
You just need to decide what type of rewards you want. Consider the type of lifestyle you lead. Are you a person that’s going to use points for travel, restaurants or cashback? If you’re a frequent flyer, you may choose a travel card. If you live in Orlando, Florida, the most logical choice would probably be Southwest Airlines because that’s our most common airline. If you live in Atlanta, obviously, it’s Delta. And if you live in Houston, it’s United.
It’s important to do your research and choose what’s best for you. Your application for a card may even get rejected. Don’t worry; there are plenty of options out there.
***Hannah Buczek contributed to this article.
