How to build credit when just moved to USA

[Grant PDX 183]

What others have said, I've done in the past.  Secured credit is one way to go.  It's a start.  I recently added my fiance to my credit card, even while she's still in the Philippines, no SSN.  She's started getting preapproved credit card offers at my address   my guess is they are secured or small limits or high rates, given the newness of her credit (I don't open them, so i have no idea, i just discard them, but they say preapproved on the envelope).

 

So: apply at your bank for a card once you have your SSN OR add you to his accounts even without SSN.

[Loren Y 2,755]

8 hours ago, missileman said:

I am not saying you are wrong, but I thought credit records (not the Credit card) were strictly tied to SSN.  How can she have a payment history with no SSN? 

What they had told me is they maintain a payment history for the card in their database. They only upload to the credit agency every 2-3 months. Some do it monthly if you have one of those secure credit cards and are trying to build credit. So what they said would happen is when a SSN gets assigned to the card on file, their payment history should load to the credit agencies. They can load 1 month, 2 months, 3 months at a time. Agent said for sure 3 months minimum will be sent to the credit agencies, but he believes since it will be a new account, the whole history will upload. Will probably only have 9 months worth before she gets her SSN, but that should help. The actual card companies are who maintain the records, that is why in order to get bad information removed you have to have the original reporting agency remove it. Yes, the credit bureaus can submit requests for a creditor to prove the information, but if you ever had to correct something on your report, you know what a night mare that is. The only people that can change it is who reports it. So hopefully he is right, it seemed to make sense to me, and from my experience with credit cards and agencies seems to fall in line with that.

[JoannaV 174]

On 3/10/2018 at 12:59 AM, mrs thb said:

Not all is true with all companies.  I got a Macy's card instantly when I moved here 2 years ago.  Pay it off every time.  Have a visa and mc, joint, with husband, which we also pay off each month.  Today I tried to get a Best Buy credit card as I wanted to take advantage of the 10% discount on my purchase and I was denied.  My husband and I both have an excellent credit rating but evidently this wasn't good enough for Best Buy.  Of course I was stunned but I just moved on.  I've never been denied a credit card and so this came as a big surprise.  Now I am wondering how credit really is developed here in the US, especially since I'm finding the majority live well beyond their means.

I had an issue early on when I only had a few accounts. Experian and Equifax both had credit reports for me but TransUnion didn't. (I guess not every creditor reports to every agency?) When I tried to get a PayPal debit card they denied me and locked my account until I sent them ID because TransUnion had no record of me.

If you haven't already, access your free credit reports from each agency.