Credit Card Farce !

[Nancy2015 2]

Having lived in the US for a year now, and working since the green card arrived in February (hurrah!!), I confidently made an online application for a visa credit card. Naturally I assumed that my online application would be smooth sailing and I would be approved for a card with a decent credit limit. Imagine my delight when the credit card approval noted that I was approved for a secured card whereby I have to credit the account with $300 !!! In addition, the card company were only happy to give me a 24% rate of interest !!! Its so frustrating when my visa card had a 25k limit in the UK with regular letters from other card companies offering 0% interest for balance transfers and new purchases. Its so depressing building a whole new credit history. Anyone else suffered, I mean experienced, similar generous offers?

My first credit card was exactly like yours - a secured card with a $300 limit and 24% APR But I just started building credit here - I had no credit history in my old country, so there was no reason for me to get offended by an offer like that. But I imagine how hard it must be to start over when you already had something decent.

Just don't check your credit report more than once or twice a year, since those inquiries show up too.

Actually, they don't show up - it won't hurt you to check your own credit report, nor will it hurt you if the lenders check it to send you pre-approved offers. The only type of inquiry that lowers the score is when you apply for credit yourself.

Edited May 9, 2007 by Jewel12

[britty 1]

Thanks everyone for the good advice. I will accept the credit card with the extortionate rate of interest and also ask hubby to be added to his credit card. This will hopefully get my credit started !

[homesick_american 1]

Actually requesting your own credit report doesn't hurt your credit rating. Only other people requesting your credit report hurts your credit rating.

Weird; I know a guy in Dallas who is a credit counselor and that's what he tells...everyone!

[akdiver 3]

Actually requesting your own credit report doesn't hurt your credit rating. Only other people requesting your credit report hurts your credit rating.

Weird; I know a guy in Dallas who is a credit counselor and that's what he tells...everyone!

Maybe you should take advice from people who have made career choices that require more intelligence than a house plant (:

Cheers!

AKDiver

[tom&tata 2]

Actually requesting your own credit report doesn't hurt your credit rating. Only other people requesting your credit report hurts your credit rating.

Weird; I know a guy in Dallas who is a credit counselor and that's what he tells...everyone!

How can seeing your own credit report have negative impact ?

[Anna C. 4]

Do you still have the British CC? It helped me to show my Master Card, as well as that BoA worked with my bank in my home country. They agreed to transfer my credit history, I got a visa card right away with a higher limit than I had before. I think it's important that you walk into a branch and actually talk to the bankers! And it's true, my recent credit report states that credit was established before the SSN was issued. And I do receive a ton of CC offers all the time.

I am sure they can work something out!

[homesick_american 1]

Actually requesting your own credit report doesn't hurt your credit rating. Only other people requesting your credit report hurts your credit rating.

Weird; I know a guy in Dallas who is a credit counselor and that's what he tells...everyone!

How can seeing your own credit report have negative impact ?

Don't ask me, I'm a database programmer. That's why I asked a credit counselor. Guess I won't go to him if I ever have credit problems. If you need someone to kick a SQL Server DB's azz, I'm your girl. That is my area of expertise.

[akdiver 3]

If you need someone to kick a SQL Server DB's azz, I'm your girl.

SQL Server? That's a Microsoft product. Doesn't it kick its own ###? (:

PostgreSQL, hoo rah!! (:

Cheers!

AKDiver

[homesick_american 1]

If you need someone to kick a SQL Server DB's azz, I'm your girl.

SQL Server? That's a Microsoft product. Doesn't it kick its own ###? (:

PostgreSQL, hoo rah!! (:

Cheers!

AKDiver

I haven't found a company yet that actually uses PostgreSQL, so I haven't bothered with it. SQL Server and Oracle seem to be more useful skills to have; I'm not going to get into a DBMS argument because I don't really care what kind of DB I'm programming as long as I get paid. I'm not a techie lifer, I just do this because the money is good.

[akdiver 3]

I haven't found a company yet that actually uses PostgreSQL

Really? You need to get out more (:

Oracle seem to be more useful skills to have

Sure, Oracle is great - as long as I am not the one paying for the licensing. It's outrageous (:

I don't really care what kind of DB I'm programming as long as I get paid. I'm not a techie lifer, I just do this because the money is good.

I completely agree. I'm such a little ####### (: I can't wait to escape from IT though. One day, one day soon I hope (:

Cheers!

AKDiver

[homesick_american 1]

Really? You need to get out more (:

I live in Yorkshire. A lot of companies still use Access.

Sure, Oracle is great - as long as I am not the one paying for the licensing. It's outrageous (:

*shrug* Not my problem.

I completely agree. I'm such a little ####### (: I can't wait to escape from IT though. One day, one day soon I hope (:

Cheers!

AKDiver

I'm going to get another bachelor's degree, this time in accounting; then an MS so I can be a CPA. Or I could get an MBA with a concentration in accounting; the MBA/CPA qualifications together are supposed to be very lucrative. That's the idea of the month, anyway.

[akdiver 3]

Sure, Oracle is great - as long as I am not the one paying for the licensing. It's outrageous (:

*shrug* Not my problem.

If you don't have any interest in the well-being of your organization, I guess not.

I'm going to get another bachelor's degree, this time in accounting; then an MS so I can be a CPA. Or I could get an MBA with a concentration in accounting; the MBA/CPA qualifications together are supposed to be very lucrative. That's the idea of the month, anyway.

I'm currently enrolled in a graduate program in business. I'm not convinced it will allow me to escape IT however. We'll see how it goes.

Cheers!

AKDiver

[simple_male 1]

It is good to have very few credit cards and use them wisely so that one can build a good credit history. Using credit cards unwisely can pile up to thousands of dollars bills which would take many years to pay it off using the minimum payment method. Credit card debt is a big problem for American families. So when one uses it, he/she should pay the balace off as soon as possible withing the grace period.

[homesick_american 1]

If you don't have any interest in the well-being of your organization, I guess not.

I'm not in a position to make those decisions.

I'm currently enrolled in a graduate program in business. I'm not convinced it will allow me to escape IT however. We'll see how it goes.

Cheers!

AKDiver

Well, once you're in I.T. people tend to pigeonhole you as a techie for the rest of your life. It's hard to break out, especially if you're going for a business-related discipline. Hell, I knew a woman in TX who became an RN after 20 years in I.T. and they still tried to stuff her in the I.T. box.

[akdiver 3]

Well, once you're in I.T. people tend to pigeonhole you as a techie for the rest of your life. It's hard to break out, especially if you're going for a business-related discipline. Hell, I knew a woman in TX who became an RN after 20 years in I.T. and they still tried to stuff her in the I.T. box.

Well, that is an issue - but the issue I was talking about was getting a non-IT job that pays something that is even remotely close to an IT job. I think it will be difficult, I will have to swallow a big pay cut to be sure, I just hope I can find a job that pays enough to live on.

Cheers!

AKDiver