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How to Find Credit Cards For People With Bad Credit

Member
By ibloomdrop
User-Submitted Article
(3 Ratings)
There are credit cards for people with bad credit
There are credit cards for people with bad credit

When things have gone wrong and you find yourself with bad credit, you might think it’s over. You might believe that you’ll never be able to borrow again and that it’s impossible to find credit cards for people with bad credit. Credit cards do exist for people with bad credit. There are a number of credit card companies that are willing to extend you credit, even when your current credit is beyond bad. However, there are so many things you need to look out for, in order to stay away from more unwanted debt resulting in further bad credit.

Difficulty: Moderate
Instructions

Things You'll Need:

  • patience to read the fine print
  1. Step 1

    First off, know that department stores and internet shopping websites don’t usually offer credit cards for people with bad credit. You will need to stick with a bank or online institution that specializes in offering credit cards to people with bad credit. You may begin to get offers in the mail, or you may seek out an internet website that might extend a line of credit. Do your research. There are many things to look for.

  2. Step 2
    Check the fees against the line of credit
    Check the fees against the line of credit

    Whether you get a credit card offering in the mail, see an online advertisement or locate an online banking institution yourself, you’ll definitely want to read all the fine print in this case. Generally, credit cards for people with bad credit have a higher interest rate, or APR, and you will not likely be able to get around that. Also, if you have bad credit, you’re not likely to get a credit card with a credit line of any more than $300. Check the fees, however. There are some fees and charges that you CAN avoid and you should always check on these fees before signing up for a credit card.

  3. Step 3

    Worst case scenario, you’ll get an offer in the mail, or see an online advertisement that promises guaranteed approval on credit cards for people with bad credit. There are a number of companies who are targeting people with bad credit, and here’s the deal. Check details for annual fee, processing fees, one-time fees and other fees. Often, once you’ve read through the fine print, you’ll find that for your guaranteed approval of a $300 line of credit, you’ll have a $99 annual fee, $100 processing fee, and $100 one-time setup fee (or something like this). If you do the quick math, you’ll see that you’ve just signed up for a credit card with a $300 line of credit, and when you get your first statement in the mail, you already owe $299. Now does that make any sense?

  4. Step 4

    So, thoroughly read any offers for credit cards for people with bad credit. It is possible to get a $300 (or more) line of credit, with a possibly higher than average APR, with no annual fees and no processing fees. And honestly, your reasoning for getting a credit card for people with bad credit should be to slowly build your credit back, not to buy a $300 game system from Walmart. Just some advice…

Tips & Warnings
  • Keep checking and don't get discouraged by rejection. There are credit cards for people with bad credit.
  • Always read the fine print and avoid any annual fees, one-time fees or processing fees.

Comments  

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on 4/18/2009 How to Find Credit Cards For People With Bad Credit is very valuable info. people have to be careful when deciding about what credit cards to get.

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on 4/17/2009 Gotta watch out for those fees! Thanks for the good info on How to Find Credit Cards For People With Bad Credit.

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