Credit-building 101
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A charge-off means that a creditor has closed an account, but the debt isn’t gone. See how this can negatively affect your credit score.
It is possible to remove account collections from your credit report, but building your credit back up could take some time.
Experian, Equifax and TransUnion are the three major credit bureaus, or credit reporting agencies. See how they work in this guide.
A good credit score falls in the 670 to 749 range. A credit score of 750 and above is considered very good or excellent.
The Chime Credit Builder Card can help you build credit without charging interest and doesn’t require a deposit or monthly fee.
Top apps like Self that build credit include Kikoff, Grow Credit, Chime Secured Credit Builder Card, Credit Strong and Cleo.
Top alternatives to Kikoff for easy credit-building include Self, Cleo, Grow Credit, Fizz and One Finance.
The Tomo credit building card is currently on a waitlist, meaning it’s not available right now. Compare features and other options here.
Kovo Credit Builder helps you build your credit history for around $10 per month and reports to four credit bureaus. Many competitors do not.
The best credit-building apps include Self Credit Builder, Step, Fizz, Cred.ai, Cleo, Grow Credit and Credit Karma Credit Builder.
Lexington Law is a credit repair company, but it carries a poor reputation.
Kikoff offers several credit-building products, including a secured card with no monthly fee, no interest charges and a low minimum deposit.
Prepaid credit cards are secured cards that work like debit cards to avoid APR and build credit. Top options include Step, Current, Varo and more.
Cushion is an all-in-one banking app that helps you track your spending and build credit without interest charges. See if it could be right for you.