It’s a simple but loaded statement: “Just let me check your credit.” Everybody wants a piece of you, from a potential employer to your cell phone company. It often feels like you’re what’s for dinner, and you’re being examined like a restaurant menu. But what if you’re not a main course, and you’re just hoping you’ve made it on the a la carte section?

New to Credit

So you’re new. It’s fine. Everybody has to start somewhere. How do you locate great credit card deals if you’re not even sure you’re eligible for a card? The bad news is you’re probably not going to get amazing perks and huge rewards with your first credit card. You’ll need to get a card and establish your credit history first.

The good news?

Yes, there is good news. Banks are usually willing to make a credit card offers to people with no or limited credit. And, for even more good news, we’ve found a site that spells out the choices for credit newbies in a very clear way: creditland.com.

Creditland is a great time saver that cuts through the credit card lingo and spells out the details clearly and concisely for the consumer. This allows you to not only identify the options out there, but also narrow down the list. By clicking on the Compare box below a credit card, you can compare up to four cards side by side. Seeing it outlined for you visually can simplify the decision-making process.

Bad CreditBad Credit

Unfortunately, life can hit some of us hard and the impact on the wallet and credit history can take time to repair. It’s possible, but it takes time.

Many people believe that it takes an outside credit repair company to fix credit. Be careful. There are some reputable companies out there, but there are also some scams. Plus, they can’t do anything for you that you can’t do for yourself. Creditland has great information on how to give your score a makeover here.

You can begin the credit clean-up process by obtaining a copy of your credit report. By federal law, you are entitled to a free copy of your credit report once a year from each of the three major credit reporting agencies: Equifax, Experian and Transunion. All three use annualcreditreport.com as the source for those free reports.

Once you’ve examined what’s on your credit, contact both the credit bureau and the company that reported the information if you identify a mistake . They are required to follow up with you and confirm, correct or remove the misinformation.

Once you’re ready to leap into the credit card scene once again, click on the Limited Credit tab on the Creditland website and scroll down to Bad Credit. You’ll see what card they recommend as well as the other options available to begin re-establishing your credit. Be sure to scroll to the bottom of the screen where they discuss the “Truth About Repairing Bad Credit”.

Coming up next…

If limited and bad credit discussions have left you with the need to plan a vacation, we’re with you.

Ready to take the plunge into a credit card site geared for travel perks? We are too. Be sure to check in next week.