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Building Credit, in plain language
Secured cards, on-time payments and growing a thin file.
What to know
- Secured cards use a refundable deposit as the limit
- On-time payments build positive history
- Low utilization helps a thin file grow
- Time and consistency matter most
Watch out: Maxing out a new card hurts utilization — keep balances low even while building.
Key terms
Secured cardA card backed by a cash deposit.
Thin fileA short or sparse credit history.
Credit limitThe maximum you can borrow on the card.
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