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Step 1
Build up your overall financial health. If you’re behind on any of your bills, pay them off. Get that credit card debt under control and pare back your living situation until you are living within your means. It’s hard to convince a bank to give you unsecured credit if you’re not making good on the debts you already have.
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Step 2
If you have no credit or haven’t tried to get credit in a long time, start out with baby steps. Though you want to build up to the point where you can get a car loan, you may be able to get credit with a very low limit. Purchase small items and pay them off completely and on time.
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Step 3
Convince a family member or loved one to co-sign with you on a small credit purchase. While this will not improve your credit as fast as if you had done it on your own, as you pay off the loan on time, you’ll keep proving that you’re creditworthy. This is what banks want to know before they grant you unsecured lines of credit.
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Step 4
Check your credit score every few months. You can ensure that no one is using your credit without permission. This also allows you to see what the banks see. Isolate the big biggest blemishes on your report and work on making yourself square with those creditors. There are plenty of services that are happy to provide you with these reports for a fee, but you can do it on your own for free a few times a year. Sites such as Annual Credit Report allow you to get your report from the three big credit agencies.
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Step 5
Make reasonable requests when you finally qualify for unsecured lines of credit. A bank is much more likely to take an unsecured chance on you when you’re not asking for a lot of money. As you prove your worth, you’ll build lender confidence in you, raising your unsecured limits until they are where you want them to be.
