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If your credit needs improvement and you need a credit card, there are several alternatives that you can choose. Probably the most cost effecrtive route is to get a secured credit card. You can get a prepaid credit cards. However, though prepaid credit cards prevent you from getting into credit card debt, they do not help you to rebuild your credit history either. Many choose to get a regular unsecured credit card (which is what we are going to discuss here).
If your credit needs improvement, chances are that you cannot get a regular no annual fee card from mainstream credit card issuers. Having said that, there are many issuers who specialize in people with bad credit. However, these credit cards come with fees that you should be aware of.
One Application Fee - Many charge a one time application fee that can be as high as over one hundred dollars.
One time processing Fee - On top of that, most will add another layer of so called "processing fee".
Annual Fee - A fee you pay everything year for the "privilege" of using the card.
Monthly Processing Fee - Many cards will also charge you a monthly processing fee, which can range from $5 to $15.
Hence, we you add up everything, you may end up paying over a hundred dollars just to get a card and have to pay annual fees as well. But when your credit is not good, then I guess you have to take what is available. The key to rebuilding your credit is to pay your bills on time, slowly improve your credit score over time and then get a regular no annual fee credit card.
What to look for in these cards?
When you are choosing these cards, you can help yourself by looking out for these things.
Reputation of the credit card issuer - Believe it or not, it is relatively easy to be a credit card issuer (most set up their operations in Delaware). You have to choose cards with a decent reputation.
Reports to Credit Bureaus - The purpose of getting cards despite the higher fees is to rebuild your credit so that down the road, you can get a no annual fee credit card. Hence, you have to make sure that the credit card reports to the three major credit bureaus, TransUnion, Equifax and Experian.
Low Fees - Well, we've mentioned all the fees below.
Low APR - Well, most of these cards have APR in the mid teens or higher. But some cards have APR below 10%. If you anticipate that you will carry a balance (the advice is not to do it), then this is an important consideration.
Recommended Credit Cards
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Probably the best card for those with bad credit is the Orchard Bank Classic MasterCards. Among all the cards that are available out there, they have the most reasonable fees and rates (nothing outrageous). Depending on your credit, you will either be approved for a secured credit card or one of their unsecured credit cards. Give this card a try. You can also read our review of the Orchard Bank Classic MasterCard®.
Other Unsecured Credit Cards for people with Bad Credit
Below is a list of all unsecured credit cards that are designed for people with bad credit. Because they all have different fee structure, we suggest you read our reviews carefully before choosing a suitable card for you. But as we mentioned earlier, our best recommendation is still the Orchard Bank Mastercard.
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