Why is Groove Axis a Good Choice for Building Credit?
With GrooveAxis you don't need credit to get credit because we don't require a credit inquiry when you apply. Instead of being offered a credit card with a limit that is based on your past credit history, you choose your credit limit with Groove Axis and secure it by making a one-time, fully refundable deposit
You set your credit limit
You determine your initial credit line ($100 up to $3,000)* based on the amount of your initial fully refundable deposit.
Use your card a liitle each month
It’s best to use about 1/3 of your available credit each month. Many people use the card to pay for small purchases (a fast food lunch) or to handle a bill they’re paying anyway (your phone).
Stay on top of your payments
Use our email alerts, as helpful reminders to make your payment, and auto-payment tools to help you stay on track with on-time payments.
In today’s world, not having a credit history can mean missing out on important opportunities. No matter what you might have in the bank, if a potential landlord or employer can’t see a history of responsible credit usage, they might jump to mistaken conclusions about you. As a result, you may have to pay a higher security deposit on many things … even utilities. And, of course, you won’t be able to get an affordable car loan or a mortgage if you don’t have solid credit. Getting started building your credit is one of the most important things you can do to open the door to new opportunities for you, and your family, today and in the future.
To build good credit, remember The Big 3.
- Use your credit card regularly
For example, use your OpenSky® card for regular purchases (like gas) or to pay recurring bills (like your phone).
- Make on-time payments
Don’t be late, even if there’s a grace period. Pay at least the minimum amount on time, every time, and try to pay the entire balance whenever you can.
- Use some, not all of your available credit
You might have heard this referred to as the utilization rate or ratio. While there are different theories about what the “perfect” utilization rate might be, generally you shouldn’t use more than one-third of your available credit on any one card or account.
A lot goes in to determining a credit score, and while each of the three major credit bureaus may calculate things differently, it is generally accepted that these five factors can make a direct impact.
As you can see, the two biggest factors are how much credit you have available and how you do at making payments on time. That’s why getting and using a secured card can be so helpful. It enables you to get credit without having credit. And, once you have it, it allows you to start showing the behaviors the credit bureaus value. Here’s a look:
Payment History: The credit bureaus take a look at your pattern of payments across all your credit accounts, including department store cards, gas cards and other accounts. Late or missed payments count against you and, since Payment History is weighted more heavily than the other factors, they can really set you back.
Availability of Credit: Here, the bureaus look at how much of your available credit you’re currently using. Some people refer to this as your utilization rate. For example, if you have a credit limit of $1,000 and you charge $300, your usage rate is 30%. Using at least some of your available credit, and making on-time payments on what you’ve used, is considered the best way to improve your score.
Length of Credit: This refers to how long you’ve had each of your credit accounts. The bureaus like to see accounts that have been open for a long time. So, even if you haven’t used an existing account, you may want to think twice about closing it (unless you are paying a high annual fee to keep it open.)
Types of Credit: Lenders like to see that you can successfully manage several different types of credit at the same time — like a car loan, a student loan and a credit card, for example.
New Credit: The bureaus don’t like it when folks open several new accounts within a short period of time. So, even though it may seem like a good way to increase your available credit, be careful about applying for, and opening, multiple accounts within a few months of each other.
Generally speaking, scores are categorized like this:
| Less than 585 | POOR |
| 585-669 | FAIR |
| 670-699 | GOOD |
| 700-729 | ABOVE AVERAGE |
| 730+ | EXCELLENT |
What’s the starting score? It’s about 300. But the good news is that you can build your credit quickly. Check out our section on Building Credit.