Five Credit Card Tips Every College Graduate Should Know

Congratulations, graduate! You’re about to launch your self into the actual world, navigating new experiences like jobs and residences—and, in lots of instances, making use of on your first bank card.

Why do you have to think about getting a bank card? Establishing a positive credit history is a vital a part of post-college life—particularly as a result of your credit score rating may decide how a lot curiosity you pay in your automobile mortgage or whether or not or not you get accepted on your subsequent house.

We’ve put collectively a listing of 5 bank card ideas each school graduate ought to know, from find out how to construct good credit score to find out how to maximize your bank card rewards. Learn our checklist earlier than you fill out your subsequent bank card utility—and skim it once more when you get accepted on your new bank card.

1. In case you don’t know your credit score rating, examine it (without cost)

The very first thing you’re going to need to know as a brand new school graduate is how to check your credit score. Many bank card issuers supply free credit score scores to cardholders, making it simple to know the place you’re ranging from and monitor your progress over time. Log into your bank card account to examine whether or not your issuer supplies your credit score rating.

In case you don’t have a bank card but, there are different methods to examine your credit score rating without cost. CreditWise from Capital One, for instance, is a free app that displays your credit score historical past, supplies up to date credit score scores and gives ideas that will help you enhance your rating—and also you don’t must be a Capital One cardholder to obtain and use CreditWise. American Categorical gives the same service known as MyCredit Guide.

2. Prequalify earlier than you apply

Many new graduates don’t understand that each bank card utility they full has the potential to quickly decrease their credit score rating. It is because credit score issuers monitor how typically you apply for credit score—and if there are too many new credit inquiries in your credit score report, your credit score rating will endure.

That is robust on youthful individuals as a result of they typically fall throughout the “honest” credit score rating vary, making it arduous to know whether or not they’ll be accepted for a bank card. That’s the place prequalification turns out to be useful. Right here’s the way it works: The credit score issuer performs a mushy credit score examine, which doesn’t affect your credit score rating however provides the issuer the knowledge it wants to find out whether or not you might be probably eligible for a specific card.

Bank card issuers typically ship prequalified gives within the mail or via e-mail. One other strategy to get prequalified is to make use of Bankrate’s CardMatch™ instrument, which is able to inform you what playing cards you’re probably to be accepted for from quite a lot of issuers.

When you’re prepared to use on your new bank card, the credit score issuer will carry out a tough credit score examine. This credit score inquiry is reported to the three main credit score bureaus (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion) and will likely be included in your subsequent credit score rating evaluation. However don’t fear—In case you preserve your new credit score inquiries to a minimal, the affect in your rating will likely be minimal.

3. Pay your payments on time and preserve your balances low

5 factors affect your credit score rating: fee historical past, quantities owed, credit score combine, account age and up to date inquiries. Your payment history and credit utilization ratio are the 2 most vital elements in your FICO credit score rating—which implies that when you miss a bank card fee or max out a bank card, you can do important injury to your credit score.

So whenever you’re attempting to build credit quickly, the 2 most impactful issues you are able to do are pay your payments on time and preserve your card balances as little as potential.

Some individuals mistakenly consider that leaving a small stability on their bank cards will enhance their credit score rating. This delusion isn’t solely incorrect, however it should additionally trigger you to throw away cash on curiosity. For good credit score, pay your payments in full as typically as you possibly can, and make each fee on time.

4. Improve your pupil bank card

Many school college students don’t understand they will upgrade a student credit card after graduation. As a substitute of canceling your pupil bank card and making use of for a brand new line of credit score, you possibly can name your issuer and ask to improve your present bank card.

There are a couple of causes that is higher than canceling and making use of for a brand new card. For one, you get to maintain your credit score account lively—which provides to the length of your credit history and has the potential to spice up your credit score rating. Plus, you get to keep up your relationship together with your credit score issuer. In case you used your pupil bank card responsibly throughout your school years, your issuer might give you an upgraded card with the next credit score restrict, a decrease rate of interest and higher rewards.

5. In case you’re not incomes bank card rewards, it’s time to start out

It’s by no means too early to study bank card rewards. The extra you perceive about incomes and redeeming rewards, the extra you’ll be capable to get out of your bank cards—and the best rewards credit cards have loads to supply.

There are two main forms of bank card rewards. Cash back credit cards supply a proportion of money again on each buy (consider it as a tiny low cost), and travel credit cards supply factors and miles that may typically be redeemed for journey bookings or assertion credit towards earlier journey purchases.

Many playing cards supply heightened rewards in particular spending classes, like groceries or online shopping. Some of these playing cards could be profitable when you profit from them.

In case you’re planning on furnishing a first apartment, for instance, a bank card just like the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card may prevent some huge cash. It gives 5 % money again at Amazon.com and Entire Meals Market; 2 % money again at eating places, fuel stations and drugstores; 1 % money again on all different purchases and a sign-up bonus price as a lot as $150.

You may additionally need to think about the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card—or, when you’re nonetheless engaged on constructing your credit score, the Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card. These flat-rate rewards playing cards supply 1.5 % money again on each buy and are nice introductions to the world of money again bank cards.

Right here’s one final tip—if you wish to get probably the most out of your bank card rewards, remember to all the time pay your bank card invoice in full. Carrying a stability comes with curiosity expenses, which may price you greater than you’re incomes in bank card rewards. Don’t make a purchase order you possibly can’t afford to repay simply because it earns 5 % money again!

The underside line

Realizing find out how to use bank cards responsibly can prevent cash, put you on the trail towards good credit score and set you up for a robust monetary future. When you perceive find out how to monitor your credit score rating, construct a optimistic credit score historical past and maximize your bank card rewards, you’ll be higher ready on your post-college life—it doesn’t matter what occurs subsequent.