Ok, totally agreed here. Not so much on Walmart, JCPenneys etc. etc. it is GEMB in my opinion. Look, there is a way to use these cards and there is a way to not use these cards. If you are loyal to Penneys or Walmart and responsibly use these two cards in a charge card manner without running a balance: more power to people like us. If you are building credit and are not loyal to these two stores and want to carry a balance etc. maybe to lock a debt-to-credit ratio the guru is correct do not bother with this junk.

My Walmart card is my gas card straight and simple. No balance, no interest. My mother works a JCPenneys, same bank GEMB and same setup, I have her as an authorized user and instead of her swiping her debit card she uses my Penneys card racking up rewards and discounts etc. and just writes me a check for the statement balance. Given there are NO rewards for having a walmart card, BUT it is better than having a stupid gas card which is even more hoki-dok than having a Walmart card in my opinion haha.

Hey if you have a charge card mentality and you have store loyalty to a Walmart/Pennys etc. go for it. Do not try and establish good credit by running balances on junk like this. The cost for doing that is high, 29%/23%, and the reward is... basically nothing. I am a BIG charge card mentality consumer, my AMEX is my goto, I have two major credit cards cap one was my first which is junk, but I will never close my first card for length of history purposes and my citi forward card. Both are locked at 7% debt-to-credit with Penneys, Walmart, AMEX @ zero. I am under three years for length of history so I am just locked up getting time under my belt, when I cross three years I will be doing great. Inquiries 0/1/1, Sometimes in the credit game you just have to sit back and grow a little.

If you are thinking of a GEMB and you are not a big pay-in-full guy or gal do not go for a GEMB you will get your lunch eaten with interest.