# Credit card recommendations? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 27, 2014, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/credit-card-recommendations/679875 "2014-01-27T19:45:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![brickbacon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@brickbacon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brickbacon)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2014, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/credit-card-recommendations/679875/21 "2014-01-29T00:43:10Z")
> [@jacobsta811](#): > > Your first credit card should always be an American Express from Amex directly (not from Citi or Fidelity, etc). That is because every AMEX you get after that will back date to the opening date of that first one (increasing your Average age of accounts- basically, every AMEX you get will _INCREASE_ your credit score once the first one is old enough). The AMEX blue cards are usually reasonably easy to get as long as you have no negatives. Is this true? Do you have a cite for that info? ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2014, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/credit-card-recommendations/679875/22 "2014-01-29T00:51:25Z")
> [@Ruken](#): > > Regarding folks in their early 20s being turned down, how does that work? I’m wondering what credit history I could have possibly had back then. Maybe my checking account? Student loans. I graduated college at 20 and was repaying them by 21. Of course I was in college during the age when pretty much any college student with a pulse could get a credit card without a cosigner, so I had one at 18. Also I had utilities in my name at 18 (the land line bill in my dorm room). They required a deposit upfront, but once we’d paid on time for a few months they refunded the deposit. ---
**Author:** ![jacobsta811](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jacobsta811/32/2893_2.png) [@jacobsta811](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jacobsta811)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2014, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/credit-card-recommendations/679875/23 "2014-01-29T02:21:54Z")
> [@brickbacon](#): > > Is this true? Do you have a cite for that info? It isn’t something they put in their marketing materials, but it is widely known among churners. For example: [http://www.noobtraveler.com/american-express-backdated-rule-amex-credit-cards/](http://www.noobtraveler.com/american-express-backdated-rule-amex-credit-cards/) And it isn’t something I’ve just seen, personal experience shows it to be true. I got my first Amex in 2001, and all 3 Amex cards I have opened since show the date opened as “Actual month opened”/year 2001, ie, you open a card in March 2001, then another in April 2005, Amex dates the card as April 2001. You can see it if it applies to you by running your credit report. ---
**Author:** ![artemis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/91b2a8/32.png) [@artemis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/artemis)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2014, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/credit-card-recommendations/679875/24 "2014-01-29T03:43:44Z")
> [@brickbacon](#): > > Is this true? Do you have a cite for that info? It’s true as long as you don’t cancel your first American Express card before opening a second one. I’ve had an AmEx Green card since 1986, and recently applied for their Starwood Preferred Guest card. My new Starwood Preferred Guest AmEx card has opening date listed as 1986. It’s a handy way to increase your average account age (in order to improve your FICO score). ---
**Author:** ![bizzwire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/958977/32.png) [@bizzwire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bizzwire)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2014, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/credit-card-recommendations/679875/25 "2014-01-31T00:44:29Z")
At the risk of bumping this, a big thanks to all. ---
**Author:** ![edwardcoast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/cab0a1/32.png) [@edwardcoast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/edwardcoast)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2014, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/credit-card-recommendations/679875/26 "2014-01-31T07:07:41Z")
> [@pancakes3](#): > > Her bank’s starter card is a good idea. > > Discover has a really good starter card for people with no credit but the problem is that Discover isn’t accepted as widely. That’s kind of outdated information about Discover Card. I only have two credit cards, Visa and a Discover Card. I use the Discover Card for the majority of charges so much that may times there are no charges for that month on the Visa card. I use Discover because it pays back 1%. I use Discover Card to order online, any place I eat, gas, groceries, the dentist and PayPal accepts it. I don’t pay any annual fees for the Visa or the Discover Card. I see no point in owning an AMEX, I would avoid that. I know the credit card companies try to make some kind of status symbol out of what credit card you have, but the truth is you are always handing it over to an hourly person so who cares about trying to impress them anyway. ---
**Author:** ![pancakes3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pancakes3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pancakes3)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2014, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/credit-card-recommendations/679875/27 "2014-01-31T14:43:27Z")
> [@edwardcoast](#): > > That’s kind of outdated information about Discover Card. That’s being discussed here: [Discover card acceptance? - In My Humble Opinion - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=714246) > [@](#): > > I only have two credit cards, Visa and a Discover Card. I use the Discover Card for the majority of charges so much that may times there are no charges for that month on the Visa card. I use Discover because it pays back 1%. I use Discover Card to order online, any place I eat, gas, groceries, the dentist and PayPal accepts it. I don’t pay any annual fees for the Visa or the Discover Card. Capital One has a visa (Quicksilver) that gives back 1.5%. > [@](#): > > I see no point in owning an AMEX, I would avoid that. I know the credit card companies try to make some kind of status symbol out of what credit card you have, but the truth is you are always handing it over to an hourly person so who cares about trying to impress them anyway. You’re right in that a large part of what makes AmEx is the social cache. You can impress not just the cashier but the person you’re treating with your Centurion. However, AmEx does come with its own set of very attractive rewards, which depending on your spending habits could make a difference even with the annual fees. If you buy more than $50 worth of groceries a month, it makes $75/year Blue Cash preferred worthwhile which gives you 6% back on grocery stores, 3% back on gas stations, and 1% back on everything else. ---
**Author:** ![jacobsta811](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jacobsta811/32/2893_2.png) [@jacobsta811](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jacobsta811)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2014, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/credit-card-recommendations/679875/28 "2014-01-31T14:56:22Z")
This is off topic to the OP, but Amex branded cards are two of the highest value rewards cards out there - 1. 2% cash back Fidelity Amex (Barclay Arrival Visa is slightly higher value - 2.2% but involves redeeming against travel expenses, and has an annual fee - Fidelity has no annual fee and goes straight into a “cash management account” you can cash out, or optionally brokerage) 2. Starwood Preferred Group Amex (SPG) = 1 SPG point/ = 1.25 miles/ in a bunch of programs (when redeemed 20k miles at a time) - American airlines, many others. The Citi Branded AA Visa cards themselves earn only 1 mi/$. ---
**Author:** ![Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Living_Well_Is_Best_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2014, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/credit-card-recommendations/679875/29 "2014-01-31T15:18:50Z")
Another vote for AMEX. Best card by far. Awesome customer service. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/credit-card-recommendations/679875.md?page=1)