Start Building Credit

In the U.S., having credit is almost like having a driver’s license — seriously, it’s that important. Your credit score can open many doors and help you take key steps toward stability and growth.

A good credit score means you can:

• Get approved for loans

• Rent an apartment without huge deposits

• Qualify for a mortgage

• Finance a car with better rates

🧠 So, how do you start building credit?

When we first arrived in the U.S., we were financially invisible. No credit history. No credit score. Nothing.

The very first thing we did was open a checking and a savings account with just $25 in each. After a few months of activity in those accounts, the bank offered us a credit card — and we said yes immediately. We knew this was the best way to start building credit from scratch.

💳 Here’s exactly what we did:

We used that credit card for everything:

• Groceries

• Gas

• Even a hot dog at RaceTrac

But the key was this: we paid off every purchase immediately — no waiting until the due date. This kept our balance low, helped us avoid interest, and showed the bank we were responsible.

We also learned that keeping your card near the credit limit hurts your score, so we stayed far below the max at all times.

📈 What happened next?

Other banks started offering us more credit cards — even banks where we didn’t have accounts. And we accepted them, using the same method:

• Spend small, pay immediately

• Never carry a balance

• Never miss a payment

That simple approach helped us build a credit score over 720+, and it continues to grow.

💬 You don’t need a lot of money to build good credit — just the right habits.

👉 Want to go deeper? Learn how credit works and what affects your score

 

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