Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Credit One vs. Orchard Bank: Rebuilding Your Credit Score





    
     The road to financial freedom is paved with many obstacles. If you have had a lot of debt and financial troubles in your life, chances are your credit score may be wounded. It would be nice to think that our credit score doesn't matter like many blogs and financial gurus may preach. It would also be nice to pay cash for large purchases like a car or a house.  But the truth is that for people who have low incomes, it is almost impossible to save enough cash to purchase a home.

      So how do you get started rebuilding your credit? Maybe you are just starting with credit and want to build a healthy credit report. One of the most convenient options when starting over from a low credit score is obtaining a credit card from a provider that helps with the needs of low credit or no credit applicants. Two such companies are Credit One and Orchard Bank.


1. Credit One
     Pros
     Online Access
     Online Approval
     Reports to all three credit bureaus
     No rewards
     Requires credit score of 620 or below (poor credit)
     No over the limit fee
     Cons
     High APR
     High annual fee $75-99
     Bad customer service reviews
 
2. Orchard Bank
     Pros
     Low annual fees $39-59
     4 cards to choose from
     Reports to all 3 credit bureaus
     Accepts applicants with no credit or low credit score (494-599)
     Free annual fee for the first
     Cons
     High APR
     High cash advance fee and APR
     Secured mastercard available with $200 minimum deposit

     The best feature of both of these cards is that they report to the 3 credit bureaus each month. So each month you pay on time will be reflected in your credit report. It is one good way to help your credit score recuperate from a messy financial history. These 2 cards are very similar.  Orchard Bank looks like the better offer since they offer lower annual fees.

     So if you are looking to get started improving your credit rating or establish credit and are disciplined enough to make your monthly payments, these cards may be for you.

      

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