secured credit card
 

I now have my secured credit card from Citibank.

In a couple of months of usage of the card can I then check with Experian on how my credit score is WITHOUT supplying my SSN? No SSN is not needed when applying for a citibank secured card just a downpayment of min $200 which will be your credit limit.

Re: secured credit card
 

I get monthly reports from Experian and I know when I opened the account that you have to have a SSN or supply it I should say.

Before I had the account I did try in the summer to get a credit score and it would not allow me to do so without the SSN.

Re: secured credit card
 

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I was told that you couldn't actually start building a credit history (and hence a credit score) until you had an SSN.

My wife had an ITIN for years because her H4 wasn't eligible for an SSN, and as far as I know she didn't start building a score, despite having her own cards and being on our mortgage.

Re: secured credit card
 

http://www.mytruston.com/blog/credit...out_a_ssn.html

http://www.docdroppers.org/wiki/inde...without_an_SSN

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/stor...F815FF8D627%7D

3 interesting links.

Re: secured credit card
 

but i thought even with BoA they say you can start establishing credit history by applying for a SECURED CREDIT CARD:confused:

Re: secured credit card
 

thanks for the links poppy, I have read the 2nd link before but not the other 2

Re: secured credit card
 

LOL I just saw your location Altamont, I live on Altamont Dr, SD :)

Re: secured credit card
 

LOL Altamont Northern California :D

Re: secured credit card
 

Kind of. You won't be able to get a FICO score until you've got a SSN and 6 months of history, but if you can establish trade lines with an ITIN, then port them to your report when you get your SSN, the age of the account should come with. That's useful, because length of history is a factor in calculating FICO scores. So look at it as prep work to improve your score when you eventually get one.

In this case, the OP should check whether their secured card from Citi reports at all. Not all do and those that do often report differently. As has been posted before, what one wants is a secured card that reports as unsecured. BoA is the gold standard (as it goes unsecured in just under a year) and Orchard Bank the best of the easily obtainable ones.

Re: secured credit card
 

This is really useful information.

Boy, I wish I'd had some of this knowledge 6 years ago when I was starting out in the US!

Re: secured credit card
 

how can u get a credit score with no SSN? u got me on this one..

Re: secured credit card
 

Have a read of the links I posted ;)

Re: secured credit card
 

Have you read any of this thread?

Re: secured credit card
 

could someone rent a car with a citibank secured credit card?
thankyou.

Re: secured credit card
 

Call them and ask!