Contrary to popular belief, using a credit card is actually good for your finances, but before you jump for joy, it must be noted that a credit card needs to be handled responsibly for you to reap its benefits. If used right, credit cards are quite useful. In fact, the Bank of America notes that credit cards can help build your credit or even repair it. They can also protect your transactions and give you insurance for a number of things.
Most students haven’t thought twice (or even once) about their credit score, mainly because they’ve had no real reason to. But once you start applying for student loans or decide to rent an apartment, your credit rating is suddenly going to become important. Whether you have stellar credit, a spotty history, or no rating at all, it can have an impact on what you’re able to accomplish in terms of getting a line of credit or a lease. So here are just a few ways to improve or build your credit score.
Pay your bills. Even if you have no credit history to speak of, there are other ways for lenders to determine whether or not you’re worthy of receiving a line of credit. For example, they may look at bank accounts to see if you maintain a balance or suffer from frequent overdrafts (showing your money management skills). Or they might look at your history of bill payment. As a new student you may not have any history, but eventually you’ll pay for rent, utilities, and other monthly bills, and creditors can look at these in lieu of a credit score. You can also self-report payments with a company like PRBC (Payment Reporting Builds Credit) as a way to improve your appeal to lenders.