 TITLE: How to Maintain a Good Credit Score CONTENT: How to Build and Establish Credit in the First Place\n----------------------------------------------------\nCredit can be frustrating because it may seem that you need credit to get credit. So, if you want to be able to buy a car or rent an apartment someday, how do you begin building credit? There are several products and strategies targeted specifically to those new to the world of credit:\n*   **Become an authorized user.** A relatively painless way to start out with credit is to become an authorized user on a parent or other loved one's credit card. You'll get your own card and can make purchases with it, but you won't be responsible for payments (though it's up to you and the primary account owner to decide how you'll contribute to monthly bills). You'll benefit from the primary borrower's payment history on the card, which means it's important to choose someone who has impeccable financial habits.\n*   **Take out a credit-builder loan.** If becoming an authorized user isn't attainable or attractive to you, an option you can pursue independently is applying for a credit-builder loan. These are often available through credit unions, and they allow you to make monthly payments as you would to a lender—and receive the money at the end of the loan term, possibly with accrued interest.\n*   **Get a secured credit card.** A secured credit card is a type of card geared specifically to those with low or no credit scores. You'll pay a cash deposit that typically becomes your credit line, and make and pay off purchases like you would with a traditional, unsecured credit card. If you use the card responsibly, you may have the option to transition to an unsecured one with the same issuer after a period of time. END