Looking for a Credit Card

One of the things I've noticed lately is that credit card companies have taken to closing accounts if I don't use the cards enough. So I've adopted a couple of tactics, like putting a monthly automatic payment on a credit card I don't use for anything else to keep it active. I took some little-used cards on a couple of trips lately, so I charged a few items on each one. But this article isn't about hanging onto the credit cards you have; it's about getting some credit when you have no record at all.

I think the most important part of this article is the following quote: "When lenders review applicants, they look at five factors: identification, account history, public records (bankruptcy filings, court records of tax liens), consumer statements (challenges to the status of an account with a lender), and inquiries. That last item is the most crucial for those of us with no credit: It shows how many times lenders have requested to review an applicant's credit history. The more times that information has been reviewed (and rejected), the more suspicious you look as an applicant."