Jaag

I don't really know how good my credit score is (creditkarma reports it around 700) but I've only been here 4 months so far.

Two things helped - having a UK American Express card - I was approved for a preferred rewards US AMEX, which avoids having to go down the route of secured cards, non-cashback cards, store cards etc.

The only issue is I notice is it reports it as high-utilization of credit because I spend > 50% of my limit, even though I pay it off completely each month.

Secondly, getting a low finance rate via a manufacturer on a vehicle as they have programs to rate your credit score as Tier 2 if you provide a letter of employment. Even if you don't need to finance the car, it's worth it.

And I guess lastly, I miss direct-debits, but a lot of companies have auto-pay options, but you need to keep an eye on it, as missing a payment can undo all that work so I've heard.

And credit searches appear and affect the score, so don't try to get approved for something you don't think you'll get as it will harm you further.

Bob

They do, but if you bundle them together within a day or so, then the others will all come as soft pings and won't affect your score. Getting denied those cards on the other hand.