 TITLE: How to Build Good Credit in College CONTENT: Tips for Establishing Credit in College\n---------------------------------------\nYou have lots of options for building credit in college, both on your own or by joining another person's credit account to start. Pick the strategy that's most accessible for you, in terms of the time commitment and any deposit you'll have to make. Here are some options:\n*   **Get a secured credit card.** Secured cards work similarly to traditional credit cards, but you'll generally pay a cash deposit equivalent to your credit limit to open the account—say, $200. You may be able to qualify for an unsecured card after a certain number of on-time payments. Secured cards can be a safer alternative to traditional credit cards because their credit limits are generally lower, and they may be easier to get without credit history or independent income of your own.\n*   **Apply for a credit-builder loan.** These accounts are typically offered by credit unions, community banks, lending circles and some online lenders. When you apply, the lender sets up a savings account for you in the amount of the loan you've qualified for, and you make payments toward that account each month. The lender reports your payment history to the three national credit bureaus (Experian, TransUnion and Equifax), and your credit history will show on-time loan payments as you make them—plus, you'll have access to a savings account at the end of the term.\n*   **Join another person's credit card account as an authorized user.** While the previous two options are available to you independent of anyone else, becoming an authorized user requires you to have a parent or another person willing to add you to their account. You'll be able to benefit from their potentially long credit history, and as an authorized user you're not responsible for payments on the account (though you can arrange to pay the account holder for any charges you make to the card). Authorized-user account activity may not have as big an impact on your credit history as managing your own account, but it's a start—especially if you're not yet ready to take on a credit account yourself.\n*   **Have your rent or utility payments reported to credit bureaus.** Another way to build credit is to make sure any regular payments you're already making are reflected on your credit report. There are several services—which are either free or charge a fee—that landlords can use to report your rental payments.\nA free tool called Experian Boost™† can also integrate cellphone and utility bill payments into your Experian credit report, which may improve your FICO® Score☉ . Your credit report at the other credit bureaus won't be affected. Take advantage of another longer-term credit-building strategy in order to make a bigger impact on your credit history. END