Credit Card Query

[SL2024 63]

8 hours ago, Sukie said:

It will take some time to build up your US Credit Score.

 

1.  Get added as a secondary user on your spouse's card.

2.  Get added on your spouse's bank account, or, if you can, open your own account. 

3.  Working with the bank where you are added or new, ask for the "pre-paid" credit card (as mentioned above).

4.  Try to get added on utility bills.

 

Even if you start with a very low credit amount ($1000), if you use it properly, you will build good credit.  But it will take at least one year to truly build a score.

 

Best of luck to you!

 

Sukie in NY

 

Thank you - I will have a look into this

5 hours ago, PGA said:

Have your spouse add you as an account user on his/her cards if he/she has a good score. I had done this WAY in advance of moving to the US and my wife (the one immigrating) had a score almost as high as mine....like 750. Ours were Barclays, AmEx and Discover... 

 

Thank you - I will have a look into this

[SL2024 63]

Thank you everyone for the advice so far. I have never had a credit card before so I really appreciate all the help with this.

 

I have done an eligibility check for an AMEX card which came back as being very likely I would be approved. This would be useful in getting a UK account opened which can then be linked over to the USA and for applying a new card over there. I would have to wait 3 months at least though as I have to have held a UK AMEX account for at least 3 months. My cousin did send me a referral link to join for the AMEX Gold card (there is no fee in the first year but then a fee in the second year but the card can be cancelled within a 30 day period of the annual fee being taken from the account and that amount refunded looking at the info on the AMEX website) if I decide to apply for it.

 

I have spoken to my fiancee and she is ok with adding me as an authorised user on her credit card (she is with Chase) until my credit score has been built up and then I can apply for my own credit card.

 

In terms of other credit cards I am still looking into Capital One, etc.

[Sukie 1,459]

Here's the thing about starting to build a credit score...

 

One of the first questions asked is how long you have lived at your current address.  Most algorithms award partial points until you have lived at one address for at least a year.  If the place you live is owned instead of rented, your score goes higher. 

 

If you don't have an income (and your UK job won't count), then you get no points.  It takes being at a job at least six months to be considered "stable".

 

Then they look at how much credit to you have, vs. how much credit you use.  And, do you pay off the credit each month, or not?

 

Some people take out a small installment loan (I did this when I bought appliances) and pay it off religiously - that garners a lot of points for your score.

 

It's very hard to get credit if you don't have credit.  That's why piggy-backing on your spouse will be critical over the first couple of years.

 

Let us know what happens!

 

Sukie in NY

 

 

[SL2024 63]

18 hours ago, PGA said:

Have your spouse add you as an account user on his/her cards if he/she has a good score. I had done this WAY in advance of moving to the US and my wife (the one immigrating) had a score almost as high as mine....like 750. Ours were Barclays, AmEx and Discover... 

 

So your wife was able to be added as an authorised person on your credit card - were you living together or separately at the time? I'm just conscious that they might say no as my fiancee is in the USA and I am living in the UK at the moment and I don't travel to the USA until next month.

[SL2024 63]

Hi all,

 

Just an update on this. My fiancée has added me as an authorised user on her credit card and they said they would send a credit card for me to her. They only asked her for my name and my date of birth. They advised her to speak to a credit agency in terms of information on how I can build my credit score.

 

She spoke to the credit agency and they said that I wouldn’t build any credit until I get my SSN in order to do that but my credit score would reflect my fiancées (which I think is around the 800 range). She is still responsible for the account though overall but I will of course be assisting with payments. 

Edited November 5 by SL2024

[TBoneTX 45,264]

This is really positive news -- congratulations!