# Building Credit From Zero At Age 35 **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 1, 2022, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-credit-from-zero-at-age-35/960302 "2022-03-01T21:11:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2022, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-credit-from-zero-at-age-35/960302/41 "2022-03-08T19:11:56Z")
Eh, back when I got out college mumblety years ago, everybody I know got a ton of credit applications around graduation time. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2022, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-credit-from-zero-at-age-35/960302/42 "2022-03-08T19:25:49Z")
When my son went off to college, he needed a way to pay for things, so I encouraged him to apply for a credit card at our credit union (where he also has an account). I had to co-sign for him to get it, and it initially had a relatively high interest rate and a low limit (about $1,500). I paid off the card in full every month since we were still supporting him. When he graduated four years later, he therefore had a pretty good credit score. He then got a job, so I dropped off as a co-signer on his card, and he was able to get a car loan on his own. He has since continued to pay off his credit card in full every month as well as his car loan payment. Now he has excellent credit. ETA: It does seem to me that it was harder to get a credit card today than when I was in college. I got an American Express card (the kind you had to pay off in full every month) without a co-signer with no problem when I was a student. A couple of years later, I got a Discover card while I was still in college. I actually still have both cards decades later. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2022, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-credit-from-zero-at-age-35/960302/43 "2022-03-08T20:22:53Z")
Some banks will show it to you. My Chase app on my phone will show it to me any time I want. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2022, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-credit-from-zero-at-age-35/960302/44 "2022-03-08T20:41:40Z")
> [@carrps](#): > > everybody I know got a ton of credit applications around graduation time. Graduation time? When I want to school, the CC companies set up stands for the incoming freshmen near the admission center. No co-signing necessary. I got one; only a $500 limit but fine for basic purchases and helped build credit. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2022, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-credit-from-zero-at-age-35/960302/45 "2022-03-08T20:45:35Z")
Well, I was in college 50 years ago. They weren’t quite as organized then. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2022, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-credit-from-zero-at-age-35/960302/46 "2022-03-08T20:58:12Z")
You only missed by a few years - I was in college 40 years ago and they had the stands up with the same $500 limit and no co-signer. Although I had give them a copy of either my ID or a class schedule since it was a commuter campus that non-students walked through all the time. They gave me some kind of gift too ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2022, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-credit-from-zero-at-age-35/960302/47 "2022-03-08T20:59:57Z")
A credit score or a credit report? The weekly thing I mentioned is a credit report that lists all your accounts , payment history etc. so you can see if any fraudulent accounts were opened , not just a score ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2022, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-credit-from-zero-at-age-35/960302/48 "2022-03-08T21:14:36Z")
Ah…yeah. Just a score (in my case via the app). ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2022, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-credit-from-zero-at-age-35/960302/49 "2022-03-09T05:36:14Z")
> [@doreen](#): > > You can actually get free reports every week for now, because of the pandemic. I still get one from each main agency once a year, according to the old paradigm, which seems enough for me. What’s new, I’ve recently noticed, is that one of these reports now includes my credit score, which you always had to pay for before. ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2022, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-credit-from-zero-at-age-35/960302/50 "2022-03-09T11:40:44Z")
My cynical guess is that banks have started begging to show you your credit score as a marketing tool. People will be like “wow, I actually have pretty good credit. I could borrow money!” ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2022, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-credit-from-zero-at-age-35/960302/51 "2022-03-09T12:22:19Z")
It’s enough most of the time - but I was very happy about the weekly reports when an unemployment benefit card showed up in the mail. I suspect that sort of thing is the reason they are available weekly. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2022, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-credit-from-zero-at-age-35/960302/52 "2022-03-09T12:38:31Z")
> [@carrps](#): > > Do stores even have “their own” credit cards anymore? They all seem to be going to some variety of Visa. My Target RedCard does not have and MC/Visa/Amex logo on it. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2022, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-credit-from-zero-at-age-35/960302/53 "2022-03-09T21:09:52Z")
> [@MandaJo](#): > > My cynical guess is that banks have started begging to show you your credit score as a marketing tool. Quite plausible. Also, one of my credit card companies has recently started showing my credit score on the monthly bills. ---
**Author:** ![SmellMyWort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SmellMyWort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmellMyWort)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2022, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-credit-from-zero-at-age-35/960302/54 "2022-03-10T15:57:04Z")
I don’t think Kohls does, either. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-credit-from-zero-at-age-35/960302.md?page=2)