Hi, I'm seeking advice on how to best build credit. I have NO credit now. I'm in my late 20s and have never paid anything late (seriously never) and I have no debts in any direction (literally zero). I don't have a ton of money, but I'm very frugal and responsible.
I am a self-employed artist. I know the connotations that may draw, but it more than pays my bills, and has for years. However, it makes my income sporadic, irregular, etc. A consistent direct deposit paycheck is not a thing in my world for many years. I've also spent the last several years traveling the world (and renting rooms in friends' houses when I wasn't traveling), so despite consistently paying bills punctually, none have ever been in my name.
When I went off to college as a teen, I knew I was too immature for a credit card, and got a debit card. Thank God for that smart decision at the time, but I never switched over to a credit card...even after I was an adult, and had been paying everything on time and managing money decently for years.
I want to get a credit card. With so little "evidence" of my financial habits being trustworthy, will I run into problems there??? I intend to just use the card exactly like I use my debit card now, and pay it off in full at the end of each month. I have no fancy aspirations or risk of reckless spending - just wish to build credit as efficiently and effectively as I can. I'd like to settle down in life over the next few years, quit traveling, etc., so credit is becoming relevant quickly.
I know VERY little about the ins and outs of finances; I've just been disciplined enough to run the numbers in my head and avoid debts or crises. So thanks in advance for any ELI5 advice or guidance you can provide.
Submitted August 06, 2017 at 03:36AM by credit___throwaway http://ift.tt/2ufghJv
