The content is accurate at the time of publication and is subject to change.

When you are a first timer in the world of credit cards you will want to be sure that you make the right choices. You must have heard plenty about credit history, how it can easily get damaged and about all the work that goes into building it up once things have gone wrong. Believe me you do not want to make mistakes and have to pay for them for a whole seven years. It makes a lot more sense to be careful and pick cards that will not get you into such a troublesome situation. Every single person would have to make their own choices when it comes to credit cards but it is never too late to ask questions or gather opinions before making a final choice.

If you are trying to start and build credit freshly the good news is that you have to begin at rock bottom and do it on your own. The bad news is that it is a difficult journey but if you make the right choices you can get some excellent opportunities. When you are starting off you may have to settle for cards with low credit limit and having no annual fee may not be something you can negotiate right away. In fact barring cards for students almost every other kind of card has an annual fee to go with it.

If you wish to work your way up, opt for a secured credit card at first. There are banks wherein they send reports to all the credit bureaus much like for unsecured cards. This way you can have a modest beginning and work your way up as you build an excellent credit score and become eligible for more benefits and deals. Credit cards are not a mistake if you have a good idea of how to use them. Once you have managed to get a good credit score then it is not so much a problem in negotiating the terms on your credit card. You can discuss your options and see if you can work out getting a card with no annual fee and a lower APR. When you are a trusted consumer banks will be very willing to make allowances and offer you a reprieve. Of course make sure that you get a proper offer rather than promotional one that is meant to just snare you in. If you have good reports and scores you can get many benefits in the world of credit cards.

Disclaimer: This editorial content is not provided or commissioned by the credit card issuer(s). Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of the credit card issuer(s), and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the credit card issuer(s). Reasonable efforts are made to present accurate information, however all information is presented without warranty. Consult a card's issuing bank for the terms & conditions.
All rates and fees, and other terms and conditions of the products mentioned in this article/post are actual as of the last update date but are subject to change. See the current products' Terms & Conditions on the issuing banks' websites.