 TITLE: How to Get a Credit Card if You Don’t Have a Credit History CONTENT: How to Establish Credit\n-----------------------\nOnce you've opened an account, there are several steps you can take to build credit with your new card:\n1.  Make all payments on time. Your payment history is the biggest factor in your credit score, and one of the most important elements lenders look at when deciding whether to approve you for a credit card or loan. Ensuring that you make payments by the due date every single month can help you steadily increase your credit score.\n2.  Keep your account balance low. When you max out your credit line, it can appear as a red flag as far as your credit risk is concerned. Since your credit utilization ratio is the second most important factor in calculating your credit scores, your credit account balances can make a big difference. Keeping your balance low, or ideally paying it off every month, demonstrates strong money management skills and can help improve your credit scores.\n3.  Use the card consistently. You're trying to create a record of on-time payments and smart debt management, which you can do by using the card regularly. Putting expenses such as groceries, take-out meals or even small bills on the card each month, and then paying the balance off, allows you to show consistency in your financial behaviors.\n4.  Ask for a credit line increase. Credit card issuers sometimes raise your credit line automatically if you've been paying your bills on time and have kept your balance low. But you can also request an increase after several months of on-time payments. A higher credit line gives you more wiggle room to better keep your balances at 30% or less, which improves your utilization ratio and can raise your credit scores.\n5.  Take out a credit-builder loan. With a credit-builder loan, you won't receive any money upfront. Instead, your lender deposits the loan amount into an account for you, and you make payments toward the loan each month. Once you've completed your payment term, you gain access to the funds. The lender will report those payments to the three credit bureaus, which add them to your credit files helping build your credit history.\n6.  Become an authorized user on someone else's account. When you become an authorized user on a credit card account, that credit line and payment history appear on your credit report. If you have a close relative or friend who manages their credit well and makes payments on time, this can be a great option for getting some positive activity on your report. However, if the main account holder is late with their payments or charges up high balances, being an authorized user won't help you. END