Posts tagged: secured_credit_cards_in_canada

Secured Capital One Credit Cards

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One of the best ways for any person to restore their credit is by getting a secured credit card from a reputable bank. I have to say that one of the best issuers out there is Capital One. There are some concerns that critics have brought up about secured Capital One credit cards, but there are plenty of people out there that have strong relationships with Capital One. They are definitely worth your time to take a look at.

Capital One is a Virginia-based bank founded in 1988 by Richard Fairbank and Nigel Morris. They are well known for their innovative strategies with their products. They are the fourth largest customer of the United States Postal Service. They recently merged with North Fork Bank for $14.6 billion dollars. They have moved up quickly because of their diversity with specializing in many different forms of consumer lending such as credit cards, home loans, auto loans, banking, and savings products. Their diversity has paid off well, as well as their impressively catchy commercials. Many people recognize their slogan, “What’s in your wallet.” Capital One continues to go against the trend by being a “monoline” lender (only consumer lending) and then going into retail banking.

There are some concerns with Capital One about that even though they have been very successful. Their stock has been flat for the past half decade and there is speculation that they will be bought up by larger company. This shouldn’t hold you back from getting a secured Capital One credit card because even if it is bought up, that shouldn’t hurt your credit or your contract. Sometimes that might result in better rates and fees.

Whether you are getting Capital One secured credit cards in Canada, America, or wherever they are often criticized for offering multiple cards to people with poor to no credit and that can be a huge problem with numerous maxed lines of credit and late payment fees escalating. Some consumer advocates consider this to be predatory, but obviously you have to decide how you spend your credit cards. Capital One and no other bank will force you to spend your card, so that point tends to be less valid to me.

A point that is more valid to me is that Capital One will not disclose their customer’s total credit limits to credit bureaus, but they will mention the spending habits of customers and what they do with the cards. This is unfortunate because the FICO score is determined by the limits extended to a credit card consumer compared to the amount of credit used. In turn this can hurt your FICO score. So that is a concern that you should pay attention to.

So look at other options that you may have, but be willing to get secured Capital One credit cards if you are looking for nice small limits that you can use to temper your expenditures. This might be a good initial step and if you do get a Capital One card then look at another big bank like JP Morgan Chase to get a card that will be more easily recognized for your FICO score.

Secured Credit Cards in Canada

We share the same language, the same name for our currency, we even share a few professional hockey and basketball teams. Why wouldn’t we share similar financial problems and solutions?

After a tough financial stretch, people are just as likely to be looking for secured credit cards in Canada as they are here in the US. Canada has similar bankruptcy laws to those of the US and the same credit bureaus monitor a person’s management of their debts. That being the case, a secured credit card in Canada will be just as useful for improving credit rating up there as down here.

Here is a short list of companies in Canada that provide secured credit cards:

1. Capital One Bank

The capital one website doesn’t say much about its terms other than the fact that your credit limit will be determined based on your credit score. No mention of interest paid on the security deposit, so I doubt they pay any.

2.CIBC

CIBC seems to offer similar terms as the others with one exception. They only let you apply for a secured credit card at a local branch of the bank.
3. Home Trust Bank

Requires a minimum deposit of $1000, but can go up to $10,000. They pay no interest on your security deposit, and charge a $7.50 monthly fee. I looked over their terms and conditions and these guys seem a little steep on their fee structure.

4. Horizon Plus

This card requires a minimum deposit of $500 and pays 2% annually on that deposit. They also charge a monthly fee of $5.95 to keep your account open.

These companies will have a fairly simple application process and you’re highly likely to get approved. After all, why wouldn’t they approve you when they have your cash securing the line of credit they gave you? In fact, getting secured credit cards in Canada for people with bad credit is pretty easy. You can get a credit line of up to $10,000 (if you’re willing to put down a $10,000 deposit).

The game is the same in Canada as it is in the US – open a couple of secured credit cards, and put a balance on them every month. Make sure it’s an amount you can manage and pay off before the payment is due. The credit bureaus on both sides of the border need to see you use the credit card intelligently. That means no late payments! Don’t risk making your credit score even worse!