# Direct Debit Credit score adjustment! **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 16, 2014, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/direct-debit-credit-score-adjustment/707392 "2014-12-16T13:36:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2014, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/direct-debit-credit-score-adjustment/707392/21 "2014-12-16T16:31:56Z")
Since the OP is looking for advice, let’s move this to IMHO. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![lazybratsche](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ba8739/32.png) [@lazybratsche](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lazybratsche)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2014, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/direct-debit-credit-score-adjustment/707392/22 "2014-12-16T16:34:50Z")
Yeah, it seems like a history of earning a consistent paycheck, maintaining a $500 minimum balance in checking accounts, always paying utility bills on time, etc. should correlate with future responsible credit use. But that data is not available to creditors! Making it available would entail a major expansion of corporations watching everything you do, and using it for credit decisions would require years of data to make quality statistical models. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2014, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/direct-debit-credit-score-adjustment/707392/23 "2014-12-16T16:38:50Z")
What you need to do is to get a secured credit card, which basically means you’re loaning money to yourself. No, it doesn’t make any sense that this is treated different from a debit card, but that’s the way it is. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2014, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/direct-debit-credit-score-adjustment/707392/24 "2014-12-16T17:37:53Z")
> [@Henryunderborn](#): > > I am not looking for advice on raising my credit card. > I am rallying on the point, for debit transactions to accumulate for credit recognition. > my 200,000$ debit line for 7 years kicks the shit out of your credit card transactions. 200,000$ over 7 years == 28.5k a year - 2380 month - even as a net income - thats not so much (once you factor in rent, utilities, gas and food, etc) regaurdless - you’re spending money you already have - which has absolutely nothing to do with paying back money you’ve borrowed - which you’ve never shown any propensity to do. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2014, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/direct-debit-credit-score-adjustment/707392/25 "2014-12-16T17:42:40Z")
> [@Duckster](#): > > [ul] > [li]Have you _actually checked your credit history_ from the only legitimately free service available - [Annual Credit Report.com - Home Page](https://www.annualcreditreport.com/index.action) ?[/li][li]Have you considered using your debit card to [purchase the full credit report from FICO](http://www.myfico.com/Guest_Home.aspx) so you know what your credit score really is before you attempt to obtain credit?[/li][li]Have you even considered talking to the folks who issued you your debit card about financial planning and obtaining credit?[/li][/ul] What? And leave show business? ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2014, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/direct-debit-credit-score-adjustment/707392/26 "2014-12-16T18:17:23Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > What? And leave show business? +1! ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2014, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/direct-debit-credit-score-adjustment/707392/27 "2014-12-16T18:29:36Z")
> [@leahcim](#): > > Basically, you have no credit history because you have never borrowed before – which may be virtuous, but it still means that when banks ask “has anybody ever lent money to this guy?”, everyone says “who?”. > > When I first moved to the States, I had no American credit history, so my first American credit card was a $300-limit thing with some ridiculous annual fee. But using and consistently paying off that was enough to get me a more conventional credit card (which I still have) within six months. I cancelled the crappy card before having to pay the first annual fee, and all has been good since. > > You might look into getting a [Secured Card](http://www.bankrate.com/finance/credit-cards/10-questions-before-getting-a-secured-credit-card-1.aspx), which is basically a credit card where you deposit some cash as collateral for your spending. That can be your bootstrap into getting a conventional card very quickly. This is good advice, and which I was going to suggest myself. Go through the bank where you have your checking account, as they already know your history. Pay off your credit purchases promptly, and after a period of establishing a good credit history, they’ll offer you an unsecured credit card. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2014, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/direct-debit-credit-score-adjustment/707392/28 "2014-12-16T19:57:10Z")
OP, exactly what do you mean when you say “car spending” in your original post? ---
**Author:** ![Svejk\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@Svejk\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Svejk_1)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2014, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/direct-debit-credit-score-adjustment/707392/29 "2014-12-18T16:31:31Z")
Once the millions from your t-shirt business start rolling in, the credit card companies will be lining up at your door! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/direct-debit-credit-score-adjustment/707392.md?page=1)