The Credit Card Application: A First Step Toward Credit

Summary: On most days I love my work as a financial advisor to my wide variety of clients. I love helping people take a serious look at their financial situation and helping them make wise financial decisions. I get frustrated, however, when my clients "put the buggy before the horse" so to speak and start worrying about things like credit problems before they have even applied for credit. I have had countless conversations about the importance of filling out a credit card application...

On most days I love my work as a financial advisor to my wide variety of clients. I love helping people take a serious look at their financial situation and helping them make wise financial decisions. I get frustrated, however, when my clients "put the buggy before the horse" so to speak and start worrying about things like credit problems before they have even applied for credit. I have had countless conversations about the importance of filling out a credit card application as the first step toward building credit. It is shocking how many people forget about the credit card application as a necessary means to the end of actually having a credit card and being able to build up their credit card situation. So quite frequently I have to sit down with a client and work through the process of filling out a credit card application before we can move any further in our discussion about the importance of building up good credit for the rest of their lives. The process of applying for credit can be rather overwhelming if you have no idea what kind of credit to apply for or what kind of credit card deals to avoid. If you're anything like the average citizen, you receive countless credit card applications in the mail each week. How can you determine what really is a good deal and what is beneficial for your future? I'd encourage everyone to take their pile of credit card applications and make a visit to a financial advisor as soon as possible. Allow a professional to assist you in the decision making process. The next step is just to fill out the credit card applications that you have chosen to go with and see which ones you are approved for. You might have a little trouble getting approved for your first credit card, but you'll never know unless you actually fill out the credit card application to be approved. This is one of the simpliest yet most overlooked steps in the process of becoming people for whom getting credit isn't an issue. So start at the beginning and do what it takes to get good credit.