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First Progress Platinum Elite Mastercard® Secured Credit Card
First Progress Platinum Elite Mastercard® Secured Credit Card
- 25.24% variable based on the Prime Rate Regular Purchase APR
- 30.24% variable based on the Prime Rate Cash Advance APR
At a Glance
The First Progress Platinum Elite Mastercard Secured Credit Card is a solid card to have if you’ve set your sights on credit building. With no upfront credit check or history required, there’s no need to worry about hurting your score before you even get started. Instead, you can jump right in – after submitting your $200 security deposit, of course.
- Best Benefits
- Rates & Fees
- Why Should You Apply?
- Choose your own credit line - $200 to $2000 – based on your security deposit
- Build your credit score.¹ Reports to all 3 credit bureaus
- No minimum credit score required for approval!
- ¹ Cardholders who keep their balance low and pay their credit card bill on time every month typically do see an increase in their credit score.
- Regular Purchase APR: 25.24% variable based on the Prime Rate
- Cash Advance APR: 30.24% variable based on the Prime Rate
- Cash Advance Transaction Fee: Either $10 or 3% of the amount of each cash advance, whichever is greater
- Annual Fee: $29
- Foreign Transaction Fee: 3% of the transaction amount
- Late Payment Penalty Fee: Up to $41
- Return Payment Penalty Fee: Up to $30
- Minimum Deposit Required: $200
- You have little to no credit history and struggle to get approved for other credit cards
- You want to establish credit history or improve your credit score
- You can submit a minimum of $200 for the security deposit
- You want a secured card with an initial credit limit of up to $2,000
- You don’t intend to carry a balance from month-to-month
Zolve Credit Card
Zolve Credit Card
- 16% variable based on the Prime Rate Regular Purchase APR
At a Glance
The Zolve Credit Card is a credit builder credit card that helps new arrivals to the U.S. build credit and move on to more impressive rewards from the same program. The Zolve credit card earns unlimited 1% cash back and offers additional benefits with no annual fee.
- Best Benefits
- Rates & Fees
- Why Should You Apply?
- Up to $5,000 credit limit
- Earn 1% unlimited cash back
- Earn up to 10% cash-back at over 10,000 shopping outlets
- Regular Purchase APR: 16% variable based on the Prime Rate
- Late Payment Penalty Fee: Up to $40
- Return Payment Penalty Fee: Up to $40
- You are a new arrival to the United States and want to begin building credit
- You prefer a card program that grows with you - not one you grow out of
- You are happy with basic rewards and plan to stick with the free option
Zolve Azpire Credit Builder Card
Zolve Azpire Credit Builder Card
At a Glance
The Zolve Azpire Credit Builder Card is a combination bank account and debit card designed to help immigrants and those new to credit. The card features no annual fee and the ability to upgrade to unsecured credit in as little as four months.
- Best Benefits
- Rates & Fees
- Why Should You Apply?
- Build credit with no minimum deposits and no annual fee
- Unlimited 1% cash back on all eligible purchases
- Upgrade to an unsecured Zolve Credit Card in as little as 4 months
- FDIC-insured savings account
- You are a new arrival to the United States and want to begin building credit
- You prefer a card program that grows with you - not one you grow out of
- You want an insured deposit account that earns interest
Self Visa® Credit Card
Self Visa® Credit Card
- 29.24% (Variable) Regular Purchase APR
At a Glance
The Self Visa® Credit Card is a secured credit card that pairs with an existing Self Credit Builder Account. The card has no formal approval process. Instead, hopeful consumers simply need to open a Self account and save over $100 to fund the secured Visa account.
- Best Benefits
- Rates & Fees
- Why Should You Apply?
- Make at least 3 monthly payments on time, have $100 or more in savings progress in your Credit Builder Account, and be in good standing. Then, you’ll be eligible for the Self Visa Credit Card*, without a hard credit check
- Build credit and savings at the same time
- Start with a Credit Builder Account* that reports monthly payments to all 3 major credit bureaus
- At the end of your plan, unlock the savings you built — minus interest and fees
- The Self Visa® Credit Card* is accepted at millions of locations in the U.S.
- *All Credit Builder Accounts made by Lead Bank, Member FDIC, Equal Housing Lender, Sunrise Banks, N.A. Member FDIC, Equal Housing Lender or SouthState Bank, N.A. Member FDIC, Equal Housing Lender. Subject to ID Verification. Individual borrowers must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident and at least 18 years old. Valid bank account and Social Security Number are required. All loans are subject to consumer report review and approval. All Certificates of Deposit (CD) are deposited in Lead Bank, Member FDIC, Sunrise Banks, N.A., Member FDIC or SouthState Bank, N.A., Member FDIC. The Self Visa® Credit Card is issued by Lead Bank, Member FDIC, Equal Housing Lender or SouthState Bank, N.A., Member FDIC, Equal Housing Lender. Individual results will vary. Visit self.inc for more details.
- Regular Purchase APR: 29.24% (Variable)
- Annual Fee: $25
- Late Payment Penalty Fee: Up to $15
- Return Payment Penalty Fee: Up to $15
- You're serious about raising your credit score
- You already have a Self Credit Builder Account
- You don’t mind the card's $25 annual fee
- You plan to pay your card balance in full every month
Total Select
Total Select
- 29.99%, compounded daily Regular Purchase APR
- 29.99% Cash Advance APR
At a Glance
The Total Select Card is designed for those with less-than-perfect credit who want a convenient payment card without a high barrier of entry. Ideal for building or rebuilding credit, this offer can give you the boost you need to level up your credit standing.
- Best Benefits
- Rates & Fees
- Why Should You Apply?
- Total Select cardholders get FREE access to Credit Monitoring powered by TransUnion. Enroll Today!
- $300 Credit limit
- Chip-enabled card for added security
- Credit limit increase possible after 12 months
- Reports monthly to major credit bureaus
- Quick and easy approval process
- Regular Purchase APR: 29.99%, compounded daily
- Cash Advance APR: 29.99%
- Cash Advance Transaction Fee: $10 or 3% of the amount of each cash advance, whichever is greater
- Annual Fee: $75 the first year ($48 after that)
- Late Payment Penalty Fee: Up to $41
- Return Payment Penalty Fee: Up to $41
- You're want to build or rebuild your credit and are looking for a Visa card that doesn't require perfect history
- You prefer a credit card that doesn't charge a program fee or require a security deposit
- You want convenience to manage your account via the card issuer's own mobile app
- You want a card that works extra and reports your payment history to the three major credit bureaus and also provides free credit monitoring tools
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What Is a Poor Credit Score?
A bad credit score is a score that falls below what credit reporting bureaus deem to be average, or “fair.” Bad scores indicate that a person is at a higher risk of missing payments, making late payments, or defaulting on their loans.
To put it bluntly, a bad or poor credit score tells a bank or lender that an individual is less creditworthy than someone with a higher score. Fortunately, credit scores are not set in stone. Instead, they are easily changeable through proactive measures and following financial best practices.
Credit Score Range
Before fixing a damaged credit score, it is crucial to understand what a credit score is, and what is considered good, bad, or ugly by different credit reporting bureaus. The two main credit scoring models that banks use to gauge creditworthiness are FICO and VantageScore.
FICO is the oldest of the credit scoring systems, and as such, is the most popular among banks. A FICO score ranges from 300 to 850, with ratings ranging from Very Poor (bad) to Exceptional VantageScore is a newer scoring model created by the three leading credit agencies: Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. Like FICO, VantageScore ranges from 300 to 850, but places more scoring weight on newer credit histories than FICO.
| FICO Scoring Factor | % of Score |
| Payment history/ late payments | 35% |
| Total amount owed on credit accounts | 30% |
| Average length of credit history | 15% |
| Types of credit accounts | 10% |
| New credit applications (hard inquiries) | 10% |
How Poor Credit Can Hurt You Financially
What impact can a bad credit score have on your financial life? Or even your everyday life, for that matter? Understanding how a bad credit score can impact your life negatively is essential in building a better financial future. Understanding how a bad credit score can impact your life negatively is essential in building a better financial future.
Here are the biggest impacts of bad credit on your life:
| Tougher odds of receiving new credit offers | Higher loan terms |
| Difficulty finding apartments to rent | Loss of certain job opprotunities |
First and foremost, bad credit can make getting approved for loans, credit cards, and even rental properties challenging. Lenders and landlords typically rely on your credit score to determine your level of risk as a borrower or tenant. With a low credit score, your lender or landlord may deny your applications outright, feeling you are a potential risk.
A bad credit score can also result in higher interest rates for loans and credit cards. This negative impact means you will pay more over time, potentially adding up to thousands of dollars in extra fees and interest charges.
Bad credit can also impact your ability to secure specific jobs or obtain security clearances. Employers and government agencies may check your credit report as part of the hiring or clearance process.
How to Improve a Poor Credit Score
Bad credit has serious ramifications in everyday life. Fortunately, there is something you can do – here are some of our top tips for improving your credit score:
| ① Check your credit score | The first thing you should do is check your credit score to see where you stand. You might already know your credit score is bad, but how far down on the scale, does it go? Knowing how fast you can improve your credit from “bad” to “fair” is crucial to making a financial plan of attack. |
| ② Get a credit card for subprime credit | Part of boosting your credit score is increasing your use of credit. For those with bad credit, this may seem counter-intuitive. Fortunately, there are many unsecured credit cards for poor credit and secured cards that can help you repair your credit score. |
| ③ Pay on time each month | As seen in the scoring models, payment history is the biggest factor in your credit score. Because payment history is so important, paying your credit card bill on time each month is essential to boosting sub-prime credit. Missed payments stay on a credit report for seven years. |
| ④ Keep your credit use low | Credit utilization is as important as paying on time. Credit utilization shows lenders how you use your credit. Those who keep their credit use below 30% can expect their score to improve, while those who use less than 10% can expect a much faster score rise. |