I Don't Need a Credit Card But Want to Build Credit. What Can I Do?

Good credit is essential if you hope to borrow money one day for things like a new car or home. But good credit can also be important for smaller things like renting an apartment or even landing a new job. And one of the easiest ways to build the credit necessary for these things is by getting a credit card.

If you have no credit, or even bad credit, and you’re averse to getting a secured credit card to help improve your credit, there are other ways to go about establishing and building good credit.

Here are three other options for building credit and improving your credit scores.

1. Get a Credit-Builder Loan

A credit builder loan is a loan with a set amount you pay back over a set period of time (referred to as an installment loan). Most have repayment terms ranging from six months to 18 months, and because these loans are reported to one or more of the three national credit reporting agencies, on-time payments will help build up your credit.

Here’s how it works: A lender places your loan into a savings account, which you can’t touch until you’ve paid it off in full, allowing you to build credit and savings at the same time. And because loan amounts for credit builder loans can be quite small (just $500) it can be much easier to make monthly loan payments.

Credit-builder loans are best for people with no credit or bad credit. But, if you have good credit but don’t have any installment accounts on your credit report, a credit-builder loan could potentially raise your score since account mix is another major credit-scoring factor.

2. Pay Your Rent

If you’re in the process of moving or need to do so in the near future, it’s a good idea to find a landlord who reports your rent payments to the major credit bureaus. Depending on what credit report or credit score is being used, these on-time monthly rent payments can give you a quick and easy credit reference and help you qualify for a loan (or at least another apartment down the road).

3. Become an Authorized User

Asking your spouse, partner or even your parent to add you onto one of their accounts as an authorized user could give your credit a boost. If the account they put you on has a perfect payment history and low balances, you’ll likely get “credit” when that account starts appearing on your credit reports. You won’t necessarily need to use the card to benefit from this strategy. It is a good idea to have your friend or family member check with their issuer to be sure that it reports authorized users to the three major credit reporting agencies (not all do).

Remember, one of the most important things in building good credit is making timely loan and bill payments. Bills like rent or utilities may not be universally reported to the credit bureaus, but if they go unpaid long enough, they can hurt your credit, especially if they go into collection. (You can see how any collections accounts may be affecting your credit by viewing your two free credit scores, updated every 14 days, on Credit.com.)

If your credit is in rough shape, due to a collection account or other payment history troubles, you may be able to improve your scores by paying delinquent accounts, addressing high credit card balances and disputing any errors that may be weighing them down. And remember, you can build good credit in the long term by keeping debt levels low, making timely payments and adding to the mix of accounts you have as your score and wallet can handle it.

[Offer: If you need help fixing your credit, Lexington Law can help you meet your goals. Learn more about them here.