How does a 30 yr old with no substantial credit and delinquent medical bills get a credit card ?

Question

Ive had a credit card in the past but i closed it out after i paid it off when i was younger. It had a low limit to begin with. I also have over $5000 in medical bills that are unpaid. Ive seen credit cards that are for those with bad credit. You pay an activation fee and a program fee and they give you a small intro rate but then they go up to a very high rate. I am finding that i need a credit card to help with certain expenses--- are these cards worth it and the right path to go.

Answer 1

A secured credit card is probably, to my knowledge, the only choice. Check cashing places that have prepaid cards don't report to credit bureaus, so it won't help your score. You can use a prepaid credit card or a secured credit card at a gas station. Any bank should have a secured credit card they can offer you, but may want you to have an account with them first, and it probably will be limited to - or twice or three times - the amount you give them. Example, if you want a $500 secured card, they might expect a $1000 or $1500 deposit. If you do it, start using the card immediately and never pay a bill late. Do this for 6 months or 3 months - depending on what your goal is - and your credit score is guaranteed to improve. Dollar General stores have these prepaid visa's, and I've seen other ones, but to my knowledge none of them report to the credit bureau. A debit card attached to your checking account doesn't report to the credit bureau either, but you might check with your bank to confirm that. Best lead is your bank or home branch. Another easier choice is to become a co-signer for a friend or family members credit card, and that will help boost your credit score. Ask to become a co-applicant on someone you knows card. That can help, but ultimately you want your own card.

A secured card should not have a activation fee or program fee if it's issued by your bank or a big bank.  

It is a good idea to have a credit card to build good credit.  They are the right path to go, a secured card that is.

I used to believe like a lot of others that I can live without credit cards.

I got a secured card.  I paid it off religiously for a very, very long time.

It was the right thing to do because without establishing that credit history, life would be harder on the Internet where credit cards are a mandatory fact of life.

I recommend debit cards attached to your checking account if you want to keep simple bookkeeping skills without endangering your credit health.  

Answer 2

Only if you want to dig yourself into a hole so deep that light will not penetrate.

Answer 3

Start with a secured credit card, pay it on time, then apply for an unsecured card.

Answer 4

You don't

and really you don't NEED one!

REALLY!