What card to get at 18 years old for a young real estate investor

Question

Hey bp,

I am currently looking for my first credit card? I am aware it will have to be secured, however I’m looking for a card that has good benefits or can set me up for something bigger in the future. I was thinking about the Chase freedom unlimited card because I have heard it is a good card and I want to build a relationship with that bank. But to me since I’m going abroad next year to discover it card seems a little better because of 0% foreign transaction fee. Just leaves me with a few questions

1. How important is it to build a relationship with the bank(if I were to get Chase, I could eventually get a better chase card with more benefits)

2. How important is it that my credit card is from a company that is FDIC approved

3. Is there any other cards that you guys recommend?

* my initial credit is good because my mom put me on her card and she has extremely good credit

Benjamin Weinhart · Answer

At this point with very little credit history, so long as you can remain responsible with the cards, applying for them is pretty good. Note that you can only get a chase card if you haven't applied for 5 personal credit cards in the last 24 months. You shouldn't need any secured cards if you already have a bit of history from your mom. A lot of the travel cards also don't have ForEx fees too.

Some other good cards in no particular order:

1. Capital One Savor (I believe they made this a student card)

2. Citi DoubleCash

3. Discover IT Student

4. Anything Chase IMHO

5. Amex gold if you believe the annual fee is worth it

6. Check out your local banks/credit unions to see what promotions they run. My regional bank offers a card with 1.67% cash back which is targeted towards folks without a ton of credit history.

7. A gentleman by the name of Ben Hedges on youtube is an expert on a lot of this stuff, maybe give him a watch.

Also it's important to say that while getting a credit card through a bank with FDIC insurance isn't a requirement, it says a lot about the bank itself and I don't really know of any good banks that don't have it. The ones that don't are usually more investment-related and probably wouldn't issue credit cards anyway.

Paul H. · Answer

Hey Jake. I’d say just go for both the Chase and Discover. Seriously. It gains you experience with two solid CC companies. When you travel, you can choose to use the card with the best foreign fees. And most importantly in my view. Credit is built very well simply through TIME. The sooner you have them in your name the better. Your credit profile needs time to grow. And credit balance will slowly increase with time. So. Just get both is my opinion. As long as you’re careful and track them and pay them off : )

Josh St Laurent · Answer

Great questions Jake, make sure to buy your Mom a nice dinner once you get the card for adding you to her card and helping you build credit!

So a few points I want to clarify, FDIC insurance is for bank deposits and won't have anything to do with a credit card so don't worry about that terminology when you're searching.

As far as building a relationship with a bank I would say it is more important if you don't have good credit and want favorable terms, in your case with good credit it shouldn't make a world of a difference.  My focus if I were you would be on a card that enhances my lifestyle and doesn't charge me unnecessary fees.  Living abroad is a perfect example, it would be crazy to get a card that is going to charge you foreign transaction fees if your plan is to live abroad.  However, an airline card that will give you an intro bonus, has no transaction fees and can help you build points to go back and forth from home could be attractive.

There are millions of credit cards out there, the nerd in me would make a simple spreadsheet to compare them.  Look for something that is going to support your lifestyle aka will give you points in categories where you spend AND reward you with points that are useful to you.

Hope this helps, let me know if I can clarify at all

Bjorn Ahlblad · Answer

FDIC for a credit card means nothing to you. Your relationship with a CC means nothing to a bank except credit score-very different businesses.

My daughter uses her Wells card in Barcelona daily! Yes there is a Foreign Transaction fee but it is miniscule.

I can check on her whereabouts faster with the CC than a GPS! 🤓 OK that was a joke but true.

Can't say I have studied cards very much, please make sure you, or someone pays off the balance every month!! All the best!!

Account Closed · Answer

Since you're just starting out, look for credit cards designed for people with limited or no credit history. These cards often have lower credit limits and may offer rewards or benefits tailored to first-time users. Additionally, consider cards with no annual fees to keep costs down.

Paul H. · Answer

I would say yes, absolutely.

Just having TIME is very important with credit. So even just having a couple in your name, even if you barely use them will help significantly. 3, 5, 7 years down the road it'll really help your score. As long as you're careful and NEVER miss a payment.

Bjorn Ahlblad · Answer

No idea about perks or fees. My daughter was leaving for Spain and needed a card, I gave her mine.

Jake Burkons · Answer

Thank you for the Recommendations, I will definitely take a look at Ben Hedges as well.

Jake Burkons · Answer

Would it be smart just to get a card that I barely spend on just to improve my credit?

Jake Burkons · Answer

Thank you, this really helps.

I will probably go with the Discover It card because of the 0% foreign transaction fee but I will also look into other cards that are partnered with an airline as well to get travel points or hotel perks.

What card to get at 18 years old for a young real estate investor

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