I just tried submitting an online application for Capital One after receiving an offer in the mail but it was denied right away. I read somewhere that your credit score can be lowered from getting denied from too many. It's my first time trying to get one so I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do. How am I supposed to know which ones will deny my application? What should my next step for getting a credit card be?
The Answer : I had to star this question as interesting because I deal with this everyday at my job. I have to make decisions to either approve or deny people for credit, so my heart goes out to you. I understand that bad things do happen to good people sometimes and most times I try to give the benefit of the doubt and try to allow the least possible.
You are correct that anytime you apply for credit whether you're approved or not, a "hard inquiry" is created which can lower your score 5-10 points each time. So it's important to be real selective about where and how often you apply for credit. So, I can give you some inside advice on what you should do from here on out.
You are entitled to a free credit report since you got denied for credit. I would definitely get it by all means. This way, you can see where you stand as far as who and how much you owe. As a matter of fact, you should also check for any inaccuracies as well. I've denied people for mistakes on their report, and later on, approve them, so I know it's possible.
If you're really needing a credit card, my suggestion would be to check with your bank to see if secured credit cards are offered. The main difference between regular and secured cards are that a collateral deposit is required for a secured card, which determines the limit. For example, you deposit $300, your credit limit is $300. A secured credit card helps you understand how to discipline yourself when it comes to credit cards, because since you're putting up the deposit, you have something at stake. Also, the deposit is usually linked to a savings account which can gain interest while credit is established, so the deposit isn't just sitting there. Also, another benefit is that the credit line can be increased by adding to the deposit. So you can think of it as establishing credit with your own money by custom building a credit card.
A good way to use the card to build credit but not go into debt would be to make very small purchases ($10-20) and pay it off on time every month while adding to the deposit to increase the credit line which can help your credit because it not only shows responsibility with high limits, it creates a cushion between the total debt you have and your available credit. People don't realize that you don't have to go into debt, in order to build credit. You can build credit by just buying little stuff that you normally would every month, and pay the credit card off every month. By keeping the balance paid off on time, usually after a year, the card upgrades to a regular card, and most importantly the deposit isn't needed and it's given back to you, which you could use to start an emergency fund, or repeat the process with another secured card if you like.
I'm sorry that I didn't come across your application, chances are I probably would've approved you, who knows? But I provided some information that should help you out, including several links below to some secured card companies.I thank you for reading and
good luck!
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