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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
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
Chase Freedom Rise
Chase Freedom Rise
- 26.74% variable based on the Prime Rate Regular Purchase APR
- 26.74% variable based on the Prime Rate Balance Transfer APR
- 29.99% variable based on the Prime Rate Cash Advance APR
At a Glance
The Chase Freedom Rise Visa is a credit builder card that can help you earn cash back rewards and double your credit line fast. The card works best with an eligible Chase checking account, as having one can greatly improve your approval odds.
- Best Benefits
- Rates & Fees
- Why Should You Apply?
- Earn 1.5% in cash back for all of your purchases
- Earn a $25 bonus for enrolling in in the first three months
- $0 annual fee
- Increase your credit line with 6 on-time payments
- Regular Purchase APR: 26.74% variable based on the Prime Rate
- Balance Transfer APR: 26.74% variable based on the Prime Rate
- Balance Transfer Transaction Fee: Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
- Cash Advance APR: 29.99% variable based on the Prime Rate
- Cash Advance Transaction Fee: Either $10 or 5% of the amount of each transaction, whichever is greater
- Penalty APR: Up to 29.99%
- Foreign Transaction Fee: 3% of the amount of each transaction in U.S. dollars.
- Late Payment Penalty Fee: Up to $40
- Return Payment Penalty Fee: Up to $40
- You have a Chase checking account with a $250 balance
- You want to earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases
- You are new to credit cards
- You don't want to pay an annual fee
USAA Secured Visa® Platinum Credit Card
USAA Secured Visa® Platinum Credit Card
- 27.9% variable based on the Prime Rate Regular Purchase APR
- 27.9% variable based on the Prime Rate Balance Transfer APR
- 27.9% variable based on the Prime Rate Cash Advance APR
At a Glance
The USAA Secured Visa Platinum can help you establish a positive credit history with regular payments and responsible use. There are no foreign transactions or annual fees for members.
- Best Benefits
- Rates & Fees
- Why Should You Apply?
- No annual fee
- No foreign transaction fees
- Build credit with on time payments and responsible use
- Visa Platinum protections, including Zero Fraud Liability
- Regular Purchase APR: 27.9% variable based on the Prime Rate
- Balance Transfer APR: 27.9% variable based on the Prime Rate
- Balance Transfer Transaction Fee: 3% of the amount of each Balance Transfer.
- Cash Advance APR: 27.9% variable based on the Prime Rate
- Cash Advance Transaction Fee: 3% of the amount of each Cash Advance. Fee waived when transferring funds electronically to a USAA deposit account.
- Late Payment Penalty Fee: Up to $35
- Return Payment Penalty Fee: Up to $35
- Minimum Deposit Required: $250
- You qualify for USAA membership
- Your credit history is damaged or non-existent
- You do't want to pay an annual fee
USAA Secured American Express® Credit Card
USAA Secured American Express® Credit Card
- 27.9% variable based on the Prime Rate Regular Purchase APR
- 27.9% variable based on the Prime Rate Balance Transfer APR
- 27.9% variable based on the Prime Rate Cash Advance APR
At a Glance
The USAA Secured American Express® Credit Card can help you establish a positive credit history with regular payments and responsible use. The card benefits from no fees for foreign transactions and no annual fee for membership.
- Best Benefits
- Rates & Fees
- Why Should You Apply?
- No annual fee
- No foreign transaction fees
- Build credit with on time payments and responsible use
- Regular Purchase APR: 27.9% variable based on the Prime Rate
- Balance Transfer APR: 27.9% variable based on the Prime Rate
- Balance Transfer Transaction Fee: 3% of the amount of each Balance Transfer.
- Cash Advance APR: 27.9% variable based on the Prime Rate
- Cash Advance Transaction Fee: 3% of the amount of each Cash Advance. Fee waived when transferring funds electronically to a USAA deposit account.
- Late Payment Penalty Fee: Up to $35
- Return Payment Penalty Fee: Up to $35
- Minimum Deposit Required: $250
- You qualify for USAA membership
- Your credit history is damaged or non-existent
- You do't want to pay an annual fee
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What Is a Bad 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 Bad 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 Bad 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. |