Homemaker and denied credit

[platinum]

I understand this does not help your situation, but the logic behind it is that people who don't have an income will be unable to pay back the loan. It does not make financial sense for companies to loan money when they have reasonable doubt about being paid back.

Why not have your husband apply for the credit card and ask for one in your name? My husband has done that for me, not that I encourage it. I wish he'd stop. I don't like using credit cards, and I already have one of my own.

And as a side note, yes, building good credit is important because when you end up needing a loan for something (house, car, boat, emergency, renovation, college, etc.) you will get a lower interest rate because you have proved you are less of a liability. Lower interest rate can mean the difference between owing thousands of dollars, or tens of thousands of dollars, or even hundreds of thousands of dollars. You don't think about your credit (or lack there of) until it comes time for you to actually need it, but by then it is too late to fix it for whatever purpose you need money for. Plan ahead and build your credit regardless of whether you think you'll need it! It certainly doesn't hurt you to make good financial decisions!

I am starting to go into a long, drawn out speech, so I'll cut myself off now.

 

[Kuntry Klucker]

I can understand, completely. I'd have flipped if I was told the same thing. After a spell of serious grumps, I'd have done the same as you and realized what was what.

I love your signature, btw.

As my husband says every morning as we have our coffee and watch the chickens go nuts for their morning 'run free' time....who needs anything else?

Thanks, never had a compliment on my sig before, that is cool.

Your husband is right, who needs anything else? I don't want the credit card for stuff, I want to build credit.
I have a friends who her husband left her. She had not work history and not credit history and 3 boys at home to feed.
In short, her life was an absolute mess, she ended up having to work at Goodwill because no one else would hire
her based on her work history (she was a stay at home mom) and no credit history. All the credit cards were in her husbands
name so his good credit was not reflected on her at all.

She is the one that encouraged me to get a credit card in my name since I too am a stay at home parent. I tried and was denied
because I am a stay at home parent. Kind of a hard blow when I was trying to prepare for the future and take her advice.

 

[platinum]

That is a very good reason to want a credit card.

This may help you, particularly number 3.

http://www.wikihow.com/Build-Credit-Without-Credit-Cards

I admire that you want to build credit, and I hope it will work out for you.

 

[Kuntry Klucker]

That is a very good reason to want a credit card.

This may help you, particularly number 3.

http://www.wikihow.com/Build-Credit-Without-Credit-Cards

I admire that you want to build credit, and I hope it will work out for you.

Ok, thanks I will look into that.

 

[herfrds]

I never had a credit card before and was denied a card too. I ended up talking with my bank and since both DH and I are on the account they gave me a card. I also have a town job now but wish I was back home..
Getting a card is a good way of building credit. I do small purchases and pay it off as fast as possible.

 

[chickened]

The department store cards help build good credit.

 

[Kuntry Klucker]

I never had a credit card before and was denied a card too. I ended up talking with my bank and since both DH and I are on the account they gave me a card. I also have a town job now but wish I was back home..
Getting a card is a good way of building credit. I do small purchases and pay it off as fast as possible.

That is what i was aiming to do. Make small purchases and then pay them off. Carry a "0" balance.

 

[Kuntry Klucker]

The department store cards help build good credit.

I thought about an amazon card because they offer points seeing that I buy stuff from amazon all the time
I would actually use the points. The interest rate is high, but I do not intend on carrying a balance so it is
not really something I am concerned about. Just a little afraid to try to apply again and be denied because I
am a homemaker.

I looked at the application last night and it does have "homemaker" as an occupation. That is funny, I have
never seen that before. But they still want individual income which for me would be Zero or claim the household
income which I think it illegal.

 

[Kilsharion]

Thanks, never had a compliment on my sig before, that is cool.

Your husband is right, who needs anything else? I don't want the credit card for stuff, I want to build credit.
I have a friends who her husband left her. She had not work history and not credit history and 3 boys at home to feed.
In short, her life was an absolute mess, she ended up having to work at Goodwill because no one else would hire
her based on her work history (she was a stay at home mom) and no credit history. All the credit cards were in her husbands
name so his good credit was not reflected on her at all.

She is the one that encouraged me to get a credit card in my name since I too am a stay at home parent. I tried and was denied
because I am a stay at home parent. Kind of a hard blow when I was trying to prepare for the future and take her advice.

I've never been denied a job based on credit. BTW, it's not legal in some states unless you're applying to work at a financial or security clearance required occupation, so check out your state.

I spent a year as a barrista, even with my degree and 20 years experience (at the time). I didn't get the job as a barrista because I wanted to...I did it because I couldn't get a job anywhere else. After three years of unemployment, being denied jobs left and right because I was "over qualified" (read: worth more than we can pay you, even though I wasn't asking for what they felt I was worth) left me with nothing in savings and on the verge of losing my ability to keep a roof over my head. In desperation, I went into a local coffee shop (Lord knows I know how to make coffee) and applied for a job. I left the bloody work history blank. When they asked me about it, I did something I am not proud of. I prevaricated. I told them I'd been a stay at home mom since highschool and that I'd never held a job. I was a hard worker, and could make a cappuccino that would tantalize and an espresso that was near perfection. Hey, several years in Italia with a fiance who was a total coffee snob taught me something (coffee and true Italian cooking...). They took me behind the counter and had me prove my stuff. I was hired right then. I was paid $7.50/hr plus tips and got to read all the books I wanted on 'loan' from the attached bookstore (worked like a library system). Considering how much I tend to spend on books, that was a real pleasure - I hadn't been able to indulge for years.

So - just sayin...most of the time, homemakers have a hard time finding "skilled" jobs not because of their credit; but, because of their lack of job experience.

Sometimes, job experience can be a killer, on the other end of the scale, though - when you've worked so long people expect you to want X amount.

It's this stupid fine balance - and, it changes for every interview

Building credit is a good thing, don't get me wrong - but, rarely does it actually have anything to do with whether you are accepted for a position or not. Though, to hear the credit companies tell it, your credit is the driving force for you being denied a position. I know that we (in this position or at any of the other jobs I've held in which I've been a voice in the hiring process) do not consider credit at all. It's all about experience, drive, adaptability and ability to work well others....and, who you know doesn't hurt, either....**grimace**

 

[Kuntry Klucker]

I've never been denied a job based on credit. BTW, it's not legal in some states unless you're applying to work at a financial or security clearance required occupation, so check out your state.

I spent a year as a barrista, even with my degree and 20 years experience (at the time). I didn't get the job as a barrista because I wanted to...I did it because I couldn't get a job anywhere else. After three years of unemployment, being denied jobs left and right because I was "over qualified" (read: worth more than we can pay you, even though I wasn't asking for what they felt I was worth) left me with nothing in savings and on the verge of losing my ability to keep a roof over my head. In desperation, I went into a local coffee shop (Lord knows I know how to make coffee) and applied for a job. I left the bloody work history blank. When they asked me about it, I did something I am not proud of. I prevaricated. I told them I'd been a stay at home mom since highschool and that I'd never held a job. I was a hard worker, and could make a cappuccino that would tantalize and an espresso that was near perfection. Hey, several years in Italia with a fiance who was a total coffee snob taught me something (coffee and true Italian cooking...). They took me behind the counter and had me prove my stuff. I was hired right then. I was paid $7.50/hr plus tips and got to read all the books I wanted on 'loan' from the attached bookstore (worked like a library system). Considering how much I tend to spend on books, that was a real pleasure - I hadn't been able to indulge for years.

So - just sayin...most of the time, homemakers have a hard time finding "skilled" jobs not because of their credit; but, because of their lack of job experience.

Sometimes, job experience can be a killer, on the other end of the scale, though - when you've worked so long people expect you to want X amount.

It's this stupid fine balance - and, it changes for every interview

Building credit is a good thing, don't get me wrong - but, rarely does it actually have anything to do with whether you are accepted for a position or not. Though, to hear the credit companies tell it, your credit is the driving force for you being denied a position. I know that we (in this position or at any of the other jobs I've held in which I've been a voice in the hiring process) do not consider credit at all. It's all about experience, drive, adaptability and ability to work well others....and, who you know doesn't hurt, either....**grimace**

Wow!! thanks for your story. I had a hard time finding jobs after I got out of college as well, (I have a Bachelors degree in Astrophysics). I was way over qualified for lots of things so I had the same problem that you just described. When I finally found a job I had to leave it about a year after because I got pregnant and had complications which pulled me out of work and put me on bed rest. Needless to say I have not been back into the work force since. I have just stayed home. I got a degree, planning on getting a master and PhD in Astrophysics but life changed course on me. So now I am home with my kids, I love being home but it has is fears as well.

I value your experience because it makes me feel better that I don't have to have good credit in my name to get a job in fact my degree may actually be what will hinder me the most. If something happened to my husband I would most likey go back to school first then get a job right out of school. At least then work history would not work against me.

Don't get me wrong my credit score is good, all the credit cards that we have are joint the same with our mortgage, I just cannot get a card to build credit independent of my husbnad
because I am a homemaker and do not have any earned income, and cannot claim the household income on the application. I know that I am not the only one affected by this, it bothers me more probably because I don't like to be dependent on others and want to do some things on my own. Hopefully that makes sense somewhat.