Why do I feel 2 inches tall

[trailmix 77]

My uncle (Accountant) had said before I left that I could open an RBC Centura account here in Raleigh, and then talk to a manager about getting them to get my credit information from RBC in Canada - I've had my chequing and Visa through RBC for 8 years...I'm wondering how open these people will be about this idea?

I have this account and yes, they are happy to use pull your Canadian credit history, so they have told me.

[Jenni and Bo 0]

My uncle (Accountant) had said before I left that I could open an RBC Centura account here in Raleigh, and then talk to a manager about getting them to get my credit information from RBC in Canada - I've had my chequing and Visa through RBC for 8 years...I'm wondering how open these people will be about this idea?

I have this account and yes, they are happy to use pull your Canadian credit history, so they have told me.

<3 Fab!

[J&K 0]

My uncle (Accountant) had said before I left that I could open an RBC Centura account here in Raleigh, and then talk to a manager about getting them to get my credit information from RBC in Canada - I've had my chequing and Visa through RBC for 8 years...I'm wondering how open these people will be about this idea?

I have this account and yes, they are happy to use pull your Canadian credit history, so they have told me.

<3 Fab!

You may want to double check.

When I was in a branch in NC, I asked about that, but I was told that since I have a SSN they would use that instead, even if I asked them to use my SIN.

Of course, this was just one person, but she was the branch manager, and seemed to know the Canadian side of things, so it is definitely worth asking about

[Udella&Wiz 325]

As side note about mortgages - when we bought our house last fall I probably had a rant here too My name is not on the mortgage for the very reason that my husband had great US credit history, I had none and therefore affected the rate we'd get in a negative way. So...we offered up my Cdn SSN, they did a credit report in Canada but they weren't willing to do anything with it. Only my husband's name is on the deed and mortgage and we're looking into having my name added to the deed only for now. 'Removing conditions' is coming up soon and obviously they'll probably wonder why my name isn't on it. Of course the explanation is simple, but who knows what hassle we'll get.

Thanks J&K for some of the tips! I had considered doing the secured CC at Bank of America, but I figured it couldn't go wrong at Target since I've been here for a year and a half.

I had already heard that bank accounts and bills no longer got reported when we went to get the mortgage so I'm looking for a simple way to start building credit..

Edited February 16, 2009 by Udella&Wiz

[trailmix 77]

My uncle (Accountant) had said before I left that I could open an RBC Centura account here in Raleigh, and then talk to a manager about getting them to get my credit information from RBC in Canada - I've had my chequing and Visa through RBC for 8 years...I'm wondering how open these people will be about this idea?

I have this account and yes, they are happy to use pull your Canadian credit history, so they have told me.

<3 Fab!

You may want to double check.

When I was in a branch in NC, I asked about that, but I was told that since I have a SSN they would use that instead, even if I asked them to use my SIN.

Of course, this was just one person, but she was the branch manager, and seemed to know the Canadian side of things, so it is definitely worth asking about

The person I spoke to was their mortgage person. They were happy to check my Canadian credit rating (at the time I probably had a zero U.S. credit rating).

[S & J 0]

One of the best pieces of advice I found on the Canadian forum was to open a store credit card before the move.

On a visit, I opened a Macy's card using my SIN, passport and driver's licence. Once I got to the US and received my SSN, all I had to do was go in to Macy's and give them the SSN number. Not sure what my credit score is, but my credit report has a starting date of Sept 2007.

Also, about a month after I added my SSN to the Macy's card I decided to try it out at Best Buy (no interest promotion). I received an automatic approval for a $1,200 Best Buy credit card. I believe this was directly related to my good credit standing with the Macy's card.

Hope this helps someone else (thanks to whoever wrote it the first time).

S

[J&K 0]

You may want to double check.

When I was in a branch in NC, I asked about that, but I was told that since I have a SSN they would use that instead, even if I asked them to use my SIN.

Of course, this was just one person, but she was the branch manager, and seemed to know the Canadian side of things, so it is definitely worth asking about

The person I spoke to was their mortgage person. They were happy to check my Canadian credit rating (at the time I probably had a zero U.S. credit rating).

Great to know! Hubby and I will be looking to buy a house in a year in a half. We may not use RBC (as Navy Federal has some great rates right now), but good to know...thanks!

One of the best pieces of advice I found on the Canadian forum was to open a store credit card before the move.

On a visit, I opened a Macy's card using my SIN, passport and driver's licence. Once I got to the US and received my SSN, all I had to do was go in to Macy's and give them the SSN number. Not sure what my credit score is, but my credit report has a starting date of Sept 2007.

Also, about a month after I added my SSN to the Macy's card I decided to try it out at Best Buy (no interest promotion). I received an automatic approval for a $1,200 Best Buy credit card. I believe this was directly related to my good credit standing with the Macy's card.

Hope this helps someone else (thanks to whoever wrote it the first time).

S

This was the best thing I could do.

Now, I didn't do this before I moved to the US, but since I still had my Ontario licence, and my parents lived at my old address, I was able to open a Macy's, JCPenney, and Target.

Now, I've got all I need, no more credit until we buy a house.

Need to pay my debt down

[minnew 4]

I still have my JC Penney card from when I was in the US studying...definitely holding onto that as well as my Wells Fargo Checking and Credit Card so that I will at least have that when I move again for good! My parents got a Herbergers card no problem and of course use it every chance they get shopping in the US! Wait until mom sees Younkers! I will never get her out of the mall before closing...LOL....

[Gypsyangel 11]

When I was still living in Canada I applied for a Target Visa, a Macy's card and a Victoria's Secret card. When I moved to the U.S. I tried to have them transferred to my U.S. SSN. It wasn't quite as easy as I thought it would be. Maybe because I was trying to do this in Sept/Oct when the banking crisis was hitting.

For Target, I called them ... they wouldn't take my SSN over the phone, but sent me a letter asking for a copy of my SSN and a copy of my driver's licence. In NJ, you can't get a driver's licence until you have a green card. So, that one is still pending. I called Macy's to give them my SSN, they told me to go into a store and go to customer service and customer service would call them while looking at my SSN card. I did that, but that wasn't good enough .... they still wanted to talk to me and asked me to mail them a copy of my SSN card. Victoria's Secret was the only one who would take my SSN over the phone.

It hasn't been as easy as I thought, but I still think it's a great piece of advice to get whatever US credit cards you can using your Canadian SIN before you move here.

[k34 0]

Neiman Marcus will also give you a card with your Canadian SIN. I assume that will either be reporting to the US agencies already or else I will be able to get them to do so after I move.

[Old Dominion 26]

Get a standard bank card through the bank where you have the account. It will be just as useful at Target as anywhere else. It may have a limited credit line, such as $2,500 (depending on the size of the bank account). As you know, the credit card industry right now is all messed up. Places like Target actually handle their credit card system through a bank, and their bank is who actually turned you down.

[Carlawarla 1]

Get a standard bank card through the bank where you have the account. It will be just as useful at Target as anywhere else. It may have a limited credit line, such as $2,500 (depending on the size of the bank account). As you know, the credit card industry right now is all messed up. Places like Target actually handle their credit card system through a bank, and their bank is who actually turned you down.

I think that might be the way to go as well. While I'm on all of Gene's cards, the first card I applied for on my own, was from my Credit Union. They KNEW what was in my account, (we have joint accounts, but I have my own account as well), and based my credit on basically what I had been doing in that account. After that card, I had no trouble obtaining other cards.

[Udella&Wiz 325]

Get a standard bank card through the bank where you have the account. It will be just as useful at Target as anywhere else. It may have a limited credit line, such as $2,500 (depending on the size of the bank account). As you know, the credit card industry right now is all messed up. Places like Target actually handle their credit card system through a bank, and their bank is who actually turned you down.

I think that might be the way to go as well. While I'm on all of Gene's cards, the first card I applied for on my own, was from my Credit Union. They KNEW what was in my account, (we have joint accounts, but I have my own account as well), and based my credit on basically what I had been doing in that account. After that card, I had no trouble obtaining other cards.

Sigh - I wish all the banks did things in the same manner. being on a bank account doesn't get reported or affect your credit score sadly, but yes I have been a 'real' joint owner since moving here. As for Old Dominion's comment - that is the whole problem that no one (not even our own bank) will give me a credit card of my own. I would settle for a $500 limit - anything that would get reported and establish credit.

I am extremely reluctrant now that I've been turned down to try even for a secured card since the banks are either unheard of or not the bank I deal with - I may resort to the co-sign option - which totally sucks

[thetreble 19]

When shopping around for your mortgage, ask if they can pull your husbands Canadian reports. It doesn't hurt to ask, and it can be done, they just need to pull a few more strings to get it done. Be persistant

As someone who just purchased a home in December, some people on this board know, that it was hard enough to get the mortgage company to even accept my income and little US credit history to be included on mortgage, let alone if I had no credit at all.

It took them TWO months to verify my Canadian employers, my US employers and my little credit history. They did not check my Canadian credit history as it was not relevant to them.

In this market and tighter regulations, any one is going to have a hard time trying to get a mortgage with no US credit history at all.

As for CC, try for Capital One. That is where I got my credit card from and while it is low limit, I certainly do not wish to have high limits! I don't need it.

[J&K 0]

As for CC, try for Capital One. That is where I got my credit card from and while it is low limit, I certainly do not wish to have high limits! I don't need it.

Just for information's sake, having low limit credit cards can also affect your credit score. And not in a good way.

If a lender sees that you only have $500, $200, or $1000 (examples only) credit limits, it shows to them that you cannot handle larger credit limits (in their eyes!) and they may see you as a credit risk.

So if you are just starting out, yes these limits are ok, because you are a risk to begin with. But, if you can get Credit Limit Increases, or higher Credit Limits, go for it. I'm not saying you have to use them, that's where good debt management comes in handy, and that's a WHOLE other dimension