Posted by CreditCardGuru
Q: I just came out my bankruptcy last September. What is the best credit card after bankruptcy?
A: Thanks for your email Mike. With today’s economy, unfortunately bankruptcy has been almost inevitable for quite a few people in America. Whether it’s due to a job loss or catastrophic medical bills, it’s a very real scenario that most of us are susceptible to. So please don’t beat yourself up over it, because the odds are you were not at fault. So instead of dwelling on the past, try and focus on making a better future.
Are Credit Cards After Bankruptcy Possible?
So is there such thing as a best credit card after bankruptcy? Well even during a prosperous economy, lenders are extremely hesitant to do business with someone that has had a recent bankruptcy. In fact, some lenders like American Express are rumored to blacklist applicants altogether if their current credit report still shows a bankruptcy on it (however the bankruptcy is no longer being reported, it may be possible to apply). Anyway long story short is that it’s an uphill battle during good times, and an even greater battle during bad times. But credit cards after bankruptcy are possible if you play your cards right, literally 
Secured vs. Unsecured
A secured credit card involves putting up collateral (typically cash) and you can then borrow against that amount. For example, you would deposit $500 with the issuer and that would allow you to charge up to $500 on the card. Down the road when you are ready to close the account you will get back your full deposit, assuming you don’t have a balance.
An unsecured credit card is what we typically think of as a normal credit card – something that allows you to make charges without any collateral/deposit. As you can imagine, almost any unsecured credit card application you fill out after a bankruptcy will almost certainly be declined. So that means the best credit card after bankruptcy will most likely be some sort of secured credit card… simply because that’s about the only thing you will be able to get approved for at first, regardless of whether you had a chapter 7, chapter 11, or chapter 13 bankruptcy.
Tips For When You Apply For a Secured Credit Card
There are a lot of shady companies out there that try and take advantage of people when they’re applying for credit cards after bankruptcy. So here are a couple tips to follow to make sure you don’t get ripped off:
Reasonable Fees & Rates: Because they know you have few options, some issuers will try and price gouge you with outrageously high fees that will cost you hundreds per year. Play close attention to the application fees, annual fees, and interest rates. Ideally, you want them as low as possible. Most charge monthly and/or annual fees and unfortunately you will need to be prepared to pay $100 to $150 over the course of your first year.
Credit Bureau Reporting: Did you know that all banks/lenders have to actually pay to report a customer’s credit history to the bureaus? Because of this, some unscrupulous secured credit cards will try and save a few bucks by not even reporting their customers to the bureaus… essentially making their cards useless! So please be sure when you apply for secured credit card that it actually will be reporting your account.
CreditCardForum.com Best Credit Card After Bankruptcy:
Currently we recommend the Platinum Zero from one of our sponsors, Applied Bank:
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