Establishing Credit

[Flames9_RN 358]

A few yrs back I watching one of those financial programs in the USA....they stated YES one can gain credit rating by being added to your spouses Credit card, but it had to be done a certain way..can't recall the exact wording one had to use.....They did say that that "loophole" may be closing.

[Teddy B 17,252]

Easiest and fastest way to get credit is to piggyback off of someone that already has established credit, like your spouse. Piggybacking is simply being added on to the existing credit cards of someone with good credit. It usually takes about 6 months for anything to show up on your credit score, but it definitely works. Within a year I had my wife's credit score in the high 700's, and she was able to then be added as a joint applicant on my accounts which means she is also responsible for the bill. I simply filled out the form with Bank of America and within a month her name started appearing on the bill with mine. She now gets monthly offers from credit card companies to open accounts with them and her credit rating is around 790.

[mrs thb 331]

good to know. thanks to all for contributing!!

[NikLR 13,227]

I opened an account with my RBC USA and they checked my Canadian credit to do so.

[GermanCanadian89 7]

Well, I tried to do credit karma and, they can't even recognize me.

So, I think I'll just be making a trip to the bank. It's nice to know about the "piggybacking". I'll have to go to a more established bank, and not the ones in this area, they won't have a clue about anything.

If RBC was in the area, I would continue my services with them but, I doubt I'd find one around here and I am not travling to NY state

[Sylea 30]

I opened an account with my RBC USA and they checked my Canadian credit to do so.

I've been checking out the RBC Cross Border package, and it looks like the credit card you can apply for thru them actually establishes a US credit record for you, but is set up against your existing Canadian credit bureau.

I'm going to go talk to someone there soon to get more details....

[NikLR 13,227]

Yep that's what I have. I waited until I was in the USA to apply for it and called their RBC USA credit number. It's a regular credit card and reports to all 3 credit bureaus in the USA.

[Sprailenes 47]

I waited until I could work and received my green card. Then I applied and got denied because I had no credit. I actually wrote a letter to Capital One after they denied me explaining my situation and how I wanted to establish credit. To my surprise about a month later I received a card with a $500 limit. It was like college all over again.

[Teddy B 17,252]

I waited until I could work and received my green card. Then I applied and got denied because I had no credit. I actually wrote a letter to Capital One after they denied me explaining my situation and how I wanted to establish credit. To my surprise about a month later I received a card with a $500 limit. It was like college all over again.

So you maxed out the card and didn't make any payments?

[Sprailenes 47]

So you maxed out the card and didn't make any payments?

LOL! No, I was good, I kept my promise and payments up.

[Teddy B 17,252]

LOL! No, I was good, I kept my promise and payments up.

[chiggins82 88]

I met with both RBC and TD in Canada. For me, I am switching to RBC. They said I would be able to open an RBC credit card from the US bank account and start establishing US credit history once I move there. TD said they would not do that unless I lived in a stated with one of their Birck and Mortar branches.. and I will not be.

I also plan to go joint with my fiance who has good credit, but sounds like it takes quite a while to build it up that way.

Secured credit card will be my alternative if RBC ends up not approving a credit card in the US bank. We shall see.

In case it comes up, I checked with BMO and they still have no plans to set up links between the Canadian and US banks. They do not offer any assistance for Canadians living in the United States and they do not offer cross border banking. Maybe one day, but they said there are no known plans for it.

[floridaboundcanuk 7]

Get an amex a year or more in advance, use it, move, they change it to usa for you one time after you're established, use it, build credit...tada

[GermanCanadian89 7]

Damn it! Wish I knew that in advance. I wonder if capital one would do that.

[Cyteen 0]

In my experience, about the only thing the lenders in the US do is check credit score. It's been frustrating finding a lender with whom I can build a relationship other than that. I tried to establish a small line of credit [didn't even get an answer, just vanished, or so it seems] and now a car loan. Credit history in Canada counts for zero and credit score here is everything. So, pretend you've just left high school and start all over again with cap in hand.