Credit Cards and Credit

Building up your credit is an important step toward total financial health. Whether you're applying to increase your credit limit on a credit card or negotiating the interest rate on a new car or home loan, having a clean credit history will help you achieve your goals. When choosing a credit card, it’s important to customize to your lifestyle. Get credit card information to help you make the right decision.

Specialty cards, such as business or student cards, are designed for people with very specific credit needs.

What are the different types of credit cards?

Today, banks offer all kinds of credit cards. Standard credit cards include balance transfer and low-interest cards. There are also cards with rewards programs attached. With rewards cards, you earn points based on your usage, and you can redeem them for a variety of rewards, such as cash back, travel points, retail points and gas cards, to name few.

Should I have a specialty credit card?

Should I have a specialty type of credit card? Specialty cards, such as business or student cards, are designed for people with very specific credit needs. These cards have many of the standard features—low introductory rates, cash back and airline rewards—but they also include perks specific to business professionals and students. For example, a business card might have features for increased credit limits, employee cards and tools for keeping personal and business expenses separate. Student cards are designed to help people who are enrolled in school build credit for the future. These cards often have minimal rewards, but if managed well can lead to more creditworthiness in the future.

Can I qualify for a credit card if I have bad credit?

Fortunately, there are even credit card options for people who need to repair their credit. Secured credit cards are designed to provide people with poor credit histories to rebuild a positive line of credit. There several aspects to keep in mind:

• Secured cards require collateral for approval
• Credit lines are usually low ($250.00)
• Additional fees may be included