Building Credit Score

[ADW & JOP 146]

3 minutes ago, Nitas_man said:

I recall Nita’s was like they took nothing and gave her 1000-1500.

 

Options are a lot more favorable with a little patience.  Just saying.

Length of active CC account also affects your credit history, so something to be said about getting a starter CC.

 

Regardless, the OP may be eligible for the same credit card with their SSN.

 

This is a good article. There's no harm seeing what you are eligible for.

 

I'm hoping to use my secured credit card and global transfer AMEX to launch myself to some better credit cards sooner than later. 

 

https://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/finance/how-to-build-credit/

 

[felipeTAYA 18]

Piggybacking, look it up. Have your US citizen add you on several  credit cards once you get your SS number. Open a checking account with Capital One. Within six month, apply for a Capital One Platinum Credit Card. Thats how I did it with my wife. Her score is better than mine now. My personal experience.

[lemur923 1]

7 minutes ago, felipeTAYA said:

Piggybacking, look it up. Have your US citizen add you on several  credit cards once you get your SS number. Open a checking account with Capital One. Within six month, apply for a Capital One Platinum Credit Card. Thats how I did it with my wife. Her score is better than mine now. My personal experience.

Sounds good! I already have an SSN from the past so I will ask her to add me.

[Nitas_man 3,100]

3 hours ago, felipeTAYA said:

Piggybacking, look it up. Have your US citizen add you on several  credit cards once you get your SS number. Open a checking account with Capital One. Within six month, apply for a Capital One Platinum Credit Card. Thats how I did it with my wife. Her score is better than mine now. My personal experience.

Exactly what we did but without the extra checking account and all within a few weeks.

[Loren Y 2,755]

I had a post on this earlier, this is what worked for my fiancee at the time and me, and I found out it worked by mistake honestly. I added her to my amazon prime card as an authorized user so she would get her own card, and I had her use it for whatever she needed while living abroad in Thailand waiting for the K1 to process. No foreign transaction fees, a really good exchange rate, and saved me tons of fees from sending her money. She didn't have a social security number or anything, but she used the card for about a year and a half before she came to the US to live with me. We applied for her SS card 18 hours after landing, and she had the card in her hand a few weeks later. We went to my one bank and got her added to my checking account so we would have a joint checking account, then we went to my credit union to open her own account and I thought get her a secured credit card to start building her credit. They do credit building loans also, but when they ran her credit report to see what she qualified for she was sitting with an 811 credit score from Equifax via an account at Chase bank? The banker was like what, how long has she had a social security number, I showed him the card, it was issued 9 days ago. He showed me the computer screen and sure enough she had a 7 year credit history from Chase credit cards with no late payments, no balance carried, etc. The credit bureau must have matched her name, and then matched the SS number to the name, and now she was good to go. Took us a while to figure out that my Amazon card was owned by Chase, and that is how she ended up with the score she did. My 7 year history with the card became her history also when I added her as a user. No secured card needed, she got her own visa that day, and could have bought a house if she wanted, and now her credit is still stellar and it has been the one thing we didn't have to worry about.

 

So, best bet is to get added to one of your US citizens credit cards as a full authorized user, and get your own card to use, and by the time you get to the US, you should have a credit history tied to your name and social security number since you already have one.

[Trese 174]

On 11/3/2019 at 11:20 AM, Loren Y said:

I had a post on this earlier, this is what worked for my fiancee at the time and me, and I found out it worked by mistake honestly. I added her to my amazon prime card as an authorized user so she would get her own card, and I had her use it for whatever she needed while living abroad in Thailand waiting for the K1 to process. No foreign transaction fees, a really good exchange rate, and saved me tons of fees from sending her money. She didn't have a social security number or anything, but she used the card for about a year and a half before she came to the US to live with me. We applied for her SS card 18 hours after landing, and she had the card in her hand a few weeks later. We went to my one bank and got her added to my checking account so we would have a joint checking account, then we went to my credit union to open her own account and I thought get her a secured credit card to start building her credit. They do credit building loans also, but when they ran her credit report to see what she qualified for she was sitting with an 811 credit score from Equifax via an account at Chase bank? The banker was like what, how long has she had a social security number, I showed him the card, it was issued 9 days ago. He showed me the computer screen and sure enough she had a 7 year credit history from Chase credit cards with no late payments, no balance carried, etc. The credit bureau must have matched her name, and then matched the SS number to the name, and now she was good to go. Took us a while to figure out that my Amazon card was owned by Chase, and that is how she ended up with the score she did. My 7 year history with the card became her history also when I added her as a user. No secured card needed, she got her own visa that day, and could have bought a house if she wanted, and now her credit is still stellar and it has been the one thing we didn't have to worry about.

 

So, best bet is to get added to one of your US citizens credit cards as a full authorized user, and get your own card to use, and by the time you get to the US, you should have a credit history tied to your name and social security number since you already have one.

 

This is interesting, and potentially very helpful.  

 

How were you able to add your then-fiancee as an authorized user if she was out of the US at the time?

[Loren Y 2,755]

50 minutes ago, Trese said:

 

This is interesting, and potentially very helpful.  

 

How were you able to add your then-fiancee as an authorized user if she was out of the US at the time?

I just called and added her, no questions asked. They shipped the card to my address, I activated it, then took it with me on my next trip to see her as it was only a few weeks from when I received the card, and she used it from then on. No problems. It was good because I set it up so I would get a text message anytime a foreign transaction was done, so I could watch what she used it for. She was always good with the card, and never abused it, so she had it for just over a year before she moved to the US. It helped because she paid for her medical, vaccinations, etc. Anything needed for the visa process, or anything else she needed. I added her when she was just my fiancee, not married or anything, and Chase Bank had no issues.

[Trese 174]

19 hours ago, Loren Y said:

I just called and added her, no questions asked. They shipped the card to my address, I activated it, then took it with me on my next trip to see her as it was only a few weeks from when I received the card, and she used it from then on. No problems. It was good because I set it up so I would get a text message anytime a foreign transaction was done, so I could watch what she used it for. She was always good with the card, and never abused it, so she had it for just over a year before she moved to the US. It helped because she paid for her medical, vaccinations, etc. Anything needed for the visa process, or anything else she needed. I added her when she was just my fiancee, not married or anything, and Chase Bank had no issues.

 

So I guess that's the advantage of Chase.  I looked it up and most other card issuers require an SSN for authorized users.

[EvaYogiBear 0]

Credit Scores are country-specific, i.e. you CANNOT transfer your credit score from Portugal or any other country to the US, you have to start from scratch in the US. I lived on the UK for 12 years, built a good credit score, but unfortunately that does not transfer over to the US.It will be hard to get a credit card when you move, as you will have no credit history, and before you get your SSN, but it is possible to start building it by getting a secured card. It's kind of like a credit card, but a lot more restrictive. But you can start building you credit score with it. I got one from Bank of America, you don't need to have a bank account with them or a SSN, you just need proof of address in the US. It's going well so far for me, and in a few months I I should be eligible for a normal credit card. Good Luck!

[lemur923 1]

6 minutes ago, EvaYogiBear said:

Credit Scores are country-specific, i.e. you CANNOT transfer your credit score from Portugal or any other country to the US, you have to start from scratch in the US. I lived on the UK for 12 years, built a good credit score, but unfortunately that does not transfer over to the US.It will be hard to get a credit card when you move, as you will have no credit history, and before you get your SSN, but it is possible to start building it by getting a secured card. It's kind of like a credit card, but a lot more restrictive. But you can start building you credit score with it. I got one from Bank of America, you don't need to have a bank account with them or a SSN, you just need proof of address in the US. It's going well so far for me, and in a few months I I should be eligible for a normal credit card. Good Luck!

Thanks for the advice! I actually already have an SSN from previous employment in the US, so I am gonna be added to my girlfriend's credit card as an authorized user and start from there.

[EvaYogiBear 0]

5 minutes ago, lemur923 said:

Thanks for the advice! I actually already have an SSN from previous employment in the US, so I am gonna be added to my girlfriend's credit card as an authorized user and start from there.

Oh perfect! Yes, if you already have a SSN that's an even better way to start!

[Trese 174]

On 11/8/2019 at 10:02 PM, EvaYogiBear said:

Credit Scores are country-specific, i.e. you CANNOT transfer your credit score from Portugal or any other country to the US, you have to start from scratch in the US.

 

I guess the AmEx Global Transfer Program is the exception? From what I've read, eligible cardholders should be able to get a card in their new country based off the credit history in the old one.

[Jaret&Rachael 106]

On 11/11/2019 at 8:36 PM, Trese said:

 

I guess the AmEx Global Transfer Program is the exception? From what I've read, eligible cardholders should be able to get a card in their new country based off the credit history in the old one.

Yes, that's true! But to add onto that, your credit will not transfer.

 

 

American Express, with the help of Nova Credit, can use your international credit history from select countries to evaluate your Card application. While your international credit will not transfer to U.S. credit, it could help you get approved for a Card and responsible Card use could help you build U.S. credit history. 

Many factors contribute to your U.S. credit scores, including on-time payments and the portion of your credit you are using regularly (lower utilization rates may increase your credit score). Credit scores are likely to change over time, rising or falling depending on your financial behavior here in the U.S.

https://www.americanexpress.com/us/credit-cards/features-benefits/us-newcomers/?intlink=us-CMS-GCRnewcomers

[Orangesapples 1,954]

On 11/2/2019 at 10:45 AM, Nitas_man said:

I also have a problem with a bank that makes money on every swipe (and) charges you an annual fee for that.  You don’t see a problem with that?

Some annual fees more than pay for themselves and they might be totally worth it for the rewards you get from the card. 

[Nitas_man 3,100]

14 minutes ago, Orangesapples said:

Some annual fees more than pay for themselves and they might be totally worth it for the rewards you get from the card. 

Dunno.  Havent paid annual fees in years.  Still get rewards.  
 

Millennials are getting ripped off.