In this day and age where most people have easy access to a consumer credit, Americans are finding themselves sinking deeper and deeper into debt. Racking up a mere $10,000 in debt is now easy and all too common.

Many consumers are in search of some helpful and legitimate strategies to help rebuild credit history, because of the continuous increase of consumer debt. Lots of people fear the “b” word (no, not that one)! The word “budget” usually sends a very negative image to most people’s minds; they think they have to pinch every penny and be forced to eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the rest of their life. Thankfully, that’s all a myth! Making a great plan for controlling your debt and rebuilding your credit and credit scores, by using different types of credit cards can help eliminate your worries.

These cards are useful, and are sometimes the only solution for some people, because they may have been denied bank accounts or regular credit cards. Because most families these days have both husband and wife working, in order to have two incomes, that leaves very little time to setup any budgets or search for tips on how to get a better credit score.

They say a journey of a thousand miles starts with the first step. Let’s take our first step and evaluate both secured and pre-paid credit cards and the pros and cons of each for your situation.

1. Secured Credit Cards

Positives- Getting a secure credit card account is highly affordable and easy way to start you on the path to building your credit. Secured credit cards assist in improving and rebuilding bad credit. This type of card acts just like a regular credit card.

Negatives- The biggest setback for most people with the secure credit card, is that you have to deposit about $200-$275 in order to “secure” the account when you sign up. For most, this is a lot to ask. These cards also have a tendency to have additional fees (i.e. annual fees) and much higher interest rates (approximately 15% or greater). Even though these may seem like a lot, this card is probably the best choice for rebuilding credit.

Pre-Paid Credit Cards

Positives- The Pre-Paid credit cards come in great handy, because they allow you to be more free and flexible with YOUR money! This type of card looks exactly like a traditional credit card, and is used the same way. However, instead of the credit card company giving you a limit based on your financial position, these accounts have you “load” the card with your very own money (like a debit card). No worries, most people get approved for this type of card, despite any past credit problems.

Disadvantages- Think of an alternative option to rebuild or establish credit. This type of account does not report your payment history or account standings to the credit bureaus. If the creditor in which you receive the pre-paid card from does not report your account, then it will NOT improve your credit. Be sure to research and compare which pre-paid cards have the best benefits according to your needs.

Note that pre-paid credit cards may not be allowed in some situations. When you rent a car or book a hotel, some places will not allow use of a pre-paid card to hold car rentals or rooms. Be safe and call ahead of time to ask about the company’s policy on pre-paid cards before you’re halfway through the process.

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