 TITLE: How Secured Credit Card Deposits Work CONTENT: How to Get a Credit Card Without a Security Deposit\n---------------------------------------------------\nIf you want to avoid putting down a security deposit, consider working on improving your credit scores so you can qualify for an unsecured credit card. Secured credit cards can help by giving you the chance to prove you can use credit responsibly.\nBefore you apply for a secured credit card, make sure the card issuer will report your payment history to the credit reporting agencies. Once you get a secured credit card, work to improve your credit score by using the card to make small purchases every month and paying them off in full and on time. Going forward, focus on paying all of your bills on time—this is the single biggest factor that can help you attain a good credit score. Setting up automatic payments can help ensure you never miss a due date.\nIf you have any outstanding late payments, bring them current as soon as possible. And pay down credit card debt to ensure your credit utilization ratio remains below 30%. To calculate your utilization ratio, divide your total credit card balances by your total credit limits.\nCheck your credit report to make sure all the information there is correct, and dispute any items you believe to be inaccurate. You're entitled to a free credit report from each of the major credit bureaus (Experian, TransUnion and Equifax) every 12 months at AnnualCreditReport.com; you can also check your Experian credit report for free every 30 days. Also consider getting your free FICO® Score☉ from Experian to see how your efforts are paying off.\nFinally, if you pay phone and utility bills, using Experian Boost™† may also help increase your credit score. This free service uses your utility, phone and other telecom bill payments to help improve your FICO® Score. END