If you are young and just entering the world as an adult then there are some things you need to be aware of. First, incase no one has told you this until now, credit is one of the most important things you can have! With that being said, even if you are just 18 years old, it is a good idea to pull a one time credit report on yourself, just to be sure you do not have any negative marks against you. You may be wondering how this could happen since you have just reached the age of being an adult. Unfortunately, this happens to young people every day. They have never bought anything in their name yet when they get their first one time credit report they find all sorts of things on there that shouldn’t be. A one time credit report can be obtained in a number of different ways. You can request a free credit report from all three credit reporting bureaus. As a US consumer you are, by law, entitled to one copy absolutely free of charge once every year. Once you have gotten that one time credit report, provided everything is clear and you are still considered a ghost then you can begin to take steps to build credit.
Keep in mind that some things build credit much faster than others. You will start with easy things like a local department store charge card or a first time credit card but your goal will be much bigger. Credit card loans do not improve your credit score as quickly as loans like personal loans do. Eventually you will want to try applying for a small personal loan. The key to keeping good credit is to be sure that you not only make all of your payments every month but that you make them on time or even early! This is the fastest way to raise your credit score. Beware of biting off more than you can chew by allowing your credit card company to offer you too high of a credit limit. That is unless you think you can be responsible enough to use the money wisely. Also, if you do get a credit card do not be afraid to use it, just remember to keep the usage down to between 10% and 30% of your limit.