How do you get a US credit card
 

We have just arrived in America from the UK and can not get a credit card as we have no credit score. How on earth do you build credit if no one will give you credit. I fell like a school leaver......help

Re: How do you get a US credit card
 

Try this guide as a starting point:

http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Fatbri...it_and_Finance

Re: How do you get a US credit card
 

I don't like or use credit cards and I've never bought a car with anything but cash, and I've never held a home loan. I'm more or less in the same position as you, except for not being an immigrant, but I do have some tips that have worked for others.

Look into secured credit cards, the kind where you give them an amount of money to hold for you. Some of them provide that after a certain number of months of good usage history (you have to actually be using the card and paying it off on time), your secured card converts to an unsecured card. At that point you can shop around for regular unsecured cards with better fees/interest rates.

Another good tactic is to get a modest signature loan from a bank with which you have a relationship, make sure it reports to credit report agencies, and pay it off without fail (I put the loan proceeds in another bank account and paid the payments from that; it cost me the interest on the loan, but that was fine). You can also check to see whether your home rent, furniture rent/payments, and so forth report good payment history, which helps.

My immigrant husband doesn't like credit cards either, but we're working on getting him credit. If the US spouse puts the immigrant spouse on their credit cards, then they can in essence share a credit rating. If you have family in the US who can do the same for you, that might be something you can look into the viability of doing.

These methods take a little time but they're solid. Others who are much heavier users of credit than we are may have additional ideas.

Also what Mr. Weeze linked :)

Re: How do you get a US credit card
 

Also, about Fatbrit's instructions to not give out your Social Security number unless necessary: it is rarely necessary. It's necessary for your work and your bank and any occasion in which you might have income to report, or for a background check you agree to (a criminal background check for renting an apartment, or a credit check for buying something on an installment agreement). It is not necessary to give it to your health insurance company (really! They can give you an alternate number). It is not necessary to give it to anyone just as an identifying number. I routinely write "will give SSN upon hiring" on job applications, because they only legitimately need it for payroll.

Yes, everyone is going to post "These people said they needed it for this or that other thing" now, but the truth is that if you just say "I'm trying to be careful about giving out my SSN" then they will usually understand and work with you. Remember that your name and your SSN is all that a smart and determined person needs to get most of your other private information. I also lie about my mother's maiden name. :D

Re: How do you get a US credit card
 

That pretty much covers it.

Hightlights: -

AmEx transfer
Secured card
Car loan
Co-signer

And time.

Re: How do you get a US credit card
 

Advice that we got here and also from friends..
AIG travelguard have just got us a credit card and we've been here for only a couple of months. The plan is just to pay the petrol with it and pay it off monthly thereby building the credit score.

It has been said before on this forum. but AIG travelguard is well worth it!
Our car insurance premiums through them have saved us the cost of the $400 membership fee.

Re: How do you get a US credit card
 

What's your income? I found obtaining credit cards a piece of piss when I moved over. I just explained my circumstances and they over-rode the computer decision to approve.

Re: How do you get a US credit card
 

Why would you do that? Why would you not put _everything_ you spend on it? If I have to use cash, I always feel cheated as i'm losing cashback / points.

Re: How do you get a US credit card
 

I empathize. I too found it a bit of a shock when I moved over. Read Fatbrit's Wiki which was linked by Mr Weeze.

The short of it is get a secured credit card and if you have an AMEX get a transfer.

Despite having a good income and trying to explain my circumstances, I had great difficulty getting credit cards for the first 18 months, then it eased up and now after 4 years, I have no issues.

It just takes time unfortunately. I found some store cards easier to get than others (Lowes - easy, Macy's - always refused me) and getting a car loan was relatively easy (with large down payment) but with a crummy rate. I ate the rate for a year then cleared the loan, which helped my credit immensely.

Re: How do you get a US credit card
 

Yes, but you are in the minority as already been discussed.

Re: How do you get a US credit card
 

I've lost track of the number of times I've posted this, but a good way of gaining credit score is to buy something from a local store that offers 6/12 months 'same as cash'. Make sure it's something you can afford and make the payments. It costs you nothing (above the cash price of the item) and it's reported to the credit bureaux.

Re: How do you get a US credit card
 

We had a cash wedding gift and used it to open a joint account, which when I start working will become my sole account.

From that you can build up credit.

Imagine being 16 again ;)

Re: How do you get a US credit card
 

It's really not that bad. Take a copy of your credit report from the UK (Experian, Callcredit or Equifax) and be prepared to speak to underwriters to detail your salary / previous history etc. It worked for me.

Re: How do you get a US credit card
 

I did the Experian credit score thing before I left too, so I had that just in case.

Re: How do you get a US credit card
 

It's not the score you need, it's a copy of the credit report. Get a statutory one for 2 quid.