Update on Credit

[bradcanuck 1]

I found out the hard way that SSN does not equal the ability to live normally... yet. After visits to the SSN office and 1800 number I was told it was my responsibility to "get credit" in the country.

Here's what I did:

1) Requested a credit report on freecreditreport.com

2) It was denied before submittal due to the SSN not being in the database

3) Went to https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.jsp and requested a report. Each agency said I was not on their databases

4) Went to BankofAmerica and applied for a low limit personal credit card ($500)

5) Went to JC Penny and applied for a card

After these steps, I went to an auto dealer and was able to cosign on a loan with my wife for a new car.

I was denied for JC Penny, but I was approved for my BofA card due to a long banking history.

That's the story so far.

[Autumnchik 6]

Thanks for the info. This is something we have been struggling with for my husband. He has been in this country for a year now, employed for 6 months. We have recently started applying for credit cards for him to build his history (we had waited because we thought that a work history of several months here might look better than none). Well, he keeps getting denied for cards because he "has no credit history on file". ARGH!!! All of our vehicles are paid for which limits our taking a car loan. We have thought about trying to get another loan through our bank, and we are applying for a credit card through our bank where we do have a banking history.

Any other advice?

[Udella&Wiz 325]

Secured credit cards appear to be a good route...although I find it a little disheartening since I had a great, long credit history in Canada

I have been added as a joint account owner on my husband's VISA card without issue...they just needed to have my SSN first. We were told that this would build up my credit ...being an 'approved user' of the VISA would not have been enough.

We shall see if I need to go further in future

[eau_xplain 2]

Being added to the USC spouse's existing credit cards is the way to go. This is what we did and after about 6 months of using the CCs where I was added as authorized user, I started getting credit card offers.

[Flames9_RN 358]

Just because one has a SSN, doesn't equal instant credit! makes sense(how can anyone have USA credit if they just got here,), what would make great sense if your Canadian credit rating followed you to the USA. Yes some USA companies can check your CDn credit rating, but sometimes it takes some prodding for them to do it!

If you can be added to a spouses credit card thats a good way to start! My brain is half frozen right now, but when contacting the credit card companies, one has to use the right language with them! One can be added to the CC but that doesn't mean it wil help their credit rating if they don't list you properly. Think it may be "authorized user"??? There was a report out last yr, that the credit card companies may be dropping that benefit!! As well I got added to the utilities, and if they allowed I was the only person listed! Best of luck

[bradcanuck 1]

Yes

1) Become an authorized user on spouses card - great advice

2) PLEAD with your bank. If you deposit a lot of money on a regular basis, have other loans or do a lot of transactions with them they can be helpful. BofA was with me because I've been with them a long time and they just had to look at my history to see I could handle a card.

3) Secured cards work if you can afford it.

I'm new to this too, but I'm learning fast.

[Kang Lang 7]

i made my husband an authorised user on some of my cards long before he immigrated and he started getting offers before he arrived back in here permanently. he has been her since july 2007 and got a an unsecured low limit capital one card and a macy's card on his own which has been helpful. he gets several offers a week mostly lousy ones but it's a start.

[monicatony 0]

I followed someone else's great advice on here and applied for a Target card while still living in Canada. (I applied in person at a store in the US). They approved me instantly and I have been using it for months. In fact, they gave me a Target Visa that can be used anywhere and had a large limit! I'm told when I can supply a SSN and my permanent US address they will just update that info and my credit that I have been establishing thus far will carry over. I gave my Canadian address and info when applying and obviously their system was able to immediately search some database and grant an approval. My husband had a spouse citibank card issued in my name as well.

[Caladan 19]

We applied through Bank of America for a low-limit card, and it seems to be working out pretty well.

[thermophile 0]

according to Discover, authorized users don't build credit but joint account owners do. Not sure if that terminology is just a Discover thing, but I'd specifically ask when you add your spouse if this type of account will count towards their credit history.

[Flames9_RN 358]

according to Discover, authorized users don't build credit but joint account owners do. Not sure if that terminology is just a Discover thing, but I'd specifically ask when you add your spouse if this type of account will count towards their credit history.

Yep thats what i was talking about!!

[thermophile 0]

Hey flames-I was hearing you, just wanted to clarify. btw, why aren't you out having fun on your BD?

Edited February 9, 2008 by thermophile

[Autumnchik 6]

Thanks guys for advice and clarifying the terminology. We have been asking when we applied for certain cards whether it would allow my husband to build a credit history to have him listed as an authorized user or if there was another way we needed to have him on the account, and, either I have been using the wrong language or we have been dealing with idiots because no one has been able to give us a clear answer!

[Flames9_RN 358]

Hey flames-I was hearing you, just wanted to clarify. btw, why aren't you out having fun on your BD?

Wife is away working til March!! And I haver studying to do. 6 hours of studying is enough! Time to sit back with some barley!!

[Earmuffs 1]

go to capital one...

I got one the same day i got my SSN, they even recently upped my limit to $750..