It gives card holders free direct deposit, which can save you hundreds of dollars a year on expensive check cashing fees. In addition this is a real debit card accepted at millions of locations world wide.

There is a monthly maintenance fee of $4.95 however if you deposit $750 or more monthly this fee is waived. There is no credit check or bank account required for approval.

It is accepted online and over the phone. You can access your cash at almost one million ATM’s world wide.

There are however some criticisms of this card such as; the number of fees and poor customer service. There is a reload fee of $4.95 when you use MoneyPak.

These are purchased at retail locations such as; CVS, Walgreens, The Pantry, and more. You will also have to pay a $2.50 ATM fee and a $9.95 activation fee.

It is issued as a Visa or MasterCard through the Columbus Bank and Trust Company.

They do offer an upgrade to your account for Premier Membership at a cost of $20. This will give you priority customer service.

You can purchase this card at many retail locations or you can complete an online application and your card will be mailed in 7-10 business days.

Frequently parents will use this card to teach a child how to manage money. It also gives parents an easy way sending financial help to students that are away at school.

Your money will be protected if your card is ever lost or stolen. It is a much safer alternative than carrying cash.

You use it to pay your bills. Additionally it will give you a convenient way to track your spending and stay within a budget.

In sum we do not suggest this card, We are alarmed that there are additional fees for priority service. We feel that when it comes to your money you are entitled to priority service.

Instead we suggest the prepaid Account Now Visa card.

There are easy requirements for approval; however it does carry some fees. This includes a one time $95 fee, an account set up fee of $29, and an annual fee of $48.

These charges are assessed to your available credit limit. When you receive your card you will have these charges shown on the balance.

Your card will have an initial $250 limit, and a 9.9% APR.

It can come as a MasterCard or Visa; you will decide when you apply. Additionally if you apply online you will have a response to your application within 60 seconds.

If you make your monthly payment on time you can build a positive payment history on your report.

Additionally your utilization ratio is very important. This is the amount of debt you have compared to your available credit. If you can keep your monthly balance at roughly 30% of you limit it will help the most.

This means you want to keep your monthly balance around $75. After six months you will be eligible for a limit increase.

The First Premier Bank is a member of the Better Business Bureau. They are located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and have issued cards to over 3 million people.

It is accepted everywhere you see the Visa or MasterCard logo displayed. To qualify you must be over 18 years of age and have a valid social security number.

Lately there has been a rise on interest rates, even on good credit cards. The rates have jumped to around 30% and this is without cause. This Means that interest rates are rising even on customers that pay on time.

In sum we suggest you look at all your options. It could be more cost effective to apply for a secured or prepaid credit card. Additionally you might want to focus on repairing your damaged credit report and then apply for a card.

It reports to all the major bureaus monthly. With on time monthly payments you can start to build a positive payment history.

This is very important when your score is calculated. Your utilization ratio will determine another large part of your score.

This ratio compares the amount of available credit you have versus the amount of debt you have. It is how the bureaus determine if some one can afford more credit.

They estimate that your utilization ratio and payment history make up to 80% of your score. It will help if you have unused credit.

However it is still a priority to remove any negative marks from your report. This will help to show a positive payment history.

There is an initial limit of $250 and an annual fee of $48. It has a 19.92% APR, and is issued by the Plains Commerce Bank.

The cash advance APR is 19.92%, in case of a financial emergency. You will be eligible for quarterly limit increases.

With our current economic conditions there has been a wave of good credit cards raising their APR’s to 20% and higher. They have been doing this without cause, meaning the customer did not pay late.

Law makers have responded however these new laws do not go into effect until 2010. We have also seen the lending institutions tighten their requirements for approval.

Your card will have fraud protection and free online account access. There is an instant approval when you apply online, and your card is accepted everywhere Visa is.

In sum, we do suggest the Total Visa. It can be used to build positive credit because it reports monthly to the bureaus, and is a second chance for many.

They have a unique application process. They will match your credit score with the four cards they offer.

These cards are three unsecured cards and one secured card. If you are looking for a second chance with your credit then you should apply because you are guaranteed to be approved for one of these cards depending upon your score.

If you have made many mistakes then you will likely be issued the secured card. With this card you must secure it by making a deposit between $200 and $15,000, your credit limit will be equivalent to your deposit.

It works just like an unsecured card and you will have to make monthly payments. Your APR will be between 8.9% and 14.9%; this is much lower than most sub prime credit cards.

If you have only made a couple of mistakes with your credit then you will likely be approved for an unsecured card. However if you prefer the secured card you can be issued that instead.

The unsecured cards will have some fees like a 19$ account set up fee with one of the cards. These cards also carry an APR between 8.9% and 18.9%.

However the fees with the Orchard Bank cards are dramatically less than any other available bad credit cards. In addition they offer considerably lower APR’s too.

These cards will all report monthly to the three major credit bureaus. With responsible use of your card you can create a positive payment history on your report.

This is very important to your credit score. It is estimated 30% of your credit score comes from your payment history.

In addition these cards will improve your ratio of available credit to debt. This factor weighs roughly 30% of your credit score. It is how the bureaus judge if you can financially handle another credit line.

You should know that once a bad credit item on your report ages four years it will have much less influence on your score. However we do still encourage you to remove bad credit items from your report.

In sum if you need a second chance with credit we do suggest the Orchard Bank Card. They have helped over 2 million people, and used responsibly can improve your score substantially.

This card is issued by the First Bank of Delaware. They have been sub prime lending for years and are a trusted leader in the industry.

Your card can be used to improve your credit score. It will create a positive payment history on your credit by making your on time monthly payments.

Your payment history is factored heavily when your credit score is calculated. This card will also help your ratio of available credit to debt. This ratio is how much debt do you have compared to the credit you have that is not being used.

Your APR will be 19.5% this is standard among sub prime lenders. You will have to pay an annual fee with this card; however every bad credit card has an annual fee.

Your card does report monthly to all three major bureaus. It will be issued with a $300 credit limit.

This card is unique because they are committed to approving most applicants. If you credit is severely damaged you can still be approved for this card, however instead of a $300 limit your card will have a $70 limit.

This card will report monthly to all three bureaus and works just like the card with a $300 limit. You will be eligible for limit increases. There are no finance charges and no account set up fees for both cards.

You will not have to pay an application fee and there is no minimum income requirement. They offer easy approval and free online account access.

When you apply you will have a 30 second online decision. Also your card will have limit increases with a maximum limit of $2000.

To get the most benefit on your credit report from your card you should try and keep the balance at approximately 25% of you credit limit. This is because it shows the bureaus that you do use your card and you are using it responsibly.

In sum we do suggest the Tribute MasterCard to anyone with a damaged credit history. You can use it to create a positive payment history and improve your ratio of available credit to debt.

They are often used to help rebuild a low credit score. They help because you can create a positive payment history and it can improve your ratio of available credit to debt.

These two factors are heavily weighted on your credit score. Improving them you can achieve a high score even with negative items on your report.

There is monthly credit reporting with these cards. You should expect an APR of 19% and you will have some fees for these cards. This is the cost of a low score, however used correctly and this can be the last time you have a cost due to your score.

Most of these cards come with a $300 credit limit. However some cards such as the Tribute MasterCard will also approve individuals for a $70 credit limit and many will offer periodic limit increases.

These cards will help your score more that a secured credit card. This is because a secured card is reported to the bureaus as a secured account and will not impact your score as much as an unsecured account.

It is still important to remove negative marks from your credit history. However it has been learned that after a negative mark ages for four years it has much less impact on your score.

You should know that to get the most out of your card on your credit you should try to keep the balance at roughly 20% of your available credit. This will help because it shows the bureaus that you do use your card and are using it responsibly.

If you have; collections, charge offs, judgments, bankruptcy, or a repossession you can still be approved for this card. Each card will have different requirements for approval and you will get an immediate decision when you apply.

In sum if you have made mistakes in the past with your credit and want a second chance we suggest a sub prime card. It can improve your ratio of available credit to debt and build a positive payment history.

When you have a damaged score you will be faced with a sub prime interest rate. This means you will have an interest rate around 19%.

It is very important to remove negative items on your credit, while improving your score. You should know that once a negative item ages four years then it has much less impact on your score.

On your card you will have to pay an annual fee and a high interest rate. Unfortunately this is an unavoidable cost, however with proper use you can ensure this is the last time you will have to pay high interest rates.

Your card will have a credit limit around $300. The other alternative is to get a secured credit card.

A secured card you will have to put a deposit down and the amount of your deposit is the credit line on your card. This card will report to the credit bureaus however it will not give you the same benefit as an unsecured card.

Both these types of cards offer instant approval. Before you apply for any card double check and make sure that they report to all three credit bureaus.

Another tip to help you get the most benefit to your credit is to keep your balance at roughly 10% of your credit limit. For example a credit limit of $300 you will want to keep the monthly balance at $30.

This shows the credit bureaus that you do have available credit; this is called your available credit to debt ratio. In addition it shows the bureaus that you do use your credit.

The last option for a card is a shopping card or a credit card that is only accepted at a specific location. We do not suggest these cards; they often come with large upfront payments and only report to one credit bureau.

You also can apply for a prepaid credit card however these cards typically do not report to a credit agency. However they do work like a bank account and if you are in chexsystems this is a good choice.

In sum we suggest the unsecured Tribute MasterCard. This card will help improve your score by creating a positive payment history and improving your ratio of debt to available credit.

This card has an initial credit limit of $300. With semi-annual credit limit increases up to a maximum limit of $2000.

You account will be reported monthly to all three credit bureaus. This will give you an opportunity to rebuild your credit score.

This card can help your score because it will improve your ratio of credit to debt. In addition by paying your monthly bill you will create a positive payment history.

These two factors have a tremendous impact on your credit score. It is still important to remove bad credit items from your credit reports.

Your card is unsecured and that means that you do not have to put any money down to be extended this credit line. However you will be charged an annual fee, unfortunately with a damaged score every card that is available will have some fees.

It does offer 9.75% APR, which is well below the standard 19% APR that most sub prime credit cards offer. It is accepted at millions of locations worldwide.

There is an easy approval process, and can be used by people with a bankruptcy on their credit history. You will get the results of your application with seconds of completing it online.

The card is issued by The First Bank of Delaware. This bank has been a leader in sub prime lending for years.

In addition you will receive online account access. This card works just like any other credit card, you will be responsible to pay your monthly bill.

With a sub prime credit rating your other options include a secured credit card. This is a good choice however the account is reported to the credit bureaus as a secured account and you will receive less benefit to your score because it is secured.

Or you can get a shopping card. We do not suggest these cards because they come with monthly fees, a large deposit and often only report to one bureau.

In sum we do suggest the Continental Finance Card to anyone looking for a second chance with credit. You can use this card to re-establish your credit score and build positive credit because it will improve your ratio of debit to available credit and can create a positive payment history.

Your card is accepted online and over the phone. In addition it is accepted everywhere you see the visa logo displayed.

You can sign up for free account alerts via text messaging and e-mail. This card can be used to book hotel reservations or rent a car.

The most unique benefit about this card is they offer a rewards program. You earn 1 point for every dollar spent.

You can redeem these points at participating retailers, this includes; Cingular, T-Mobile, Verizon and more. Your points can be redeemed for; ring tones, music downloads, and toward your account balance.

It is issued by Bankfirst and offers free direct deposit. You will be expected to pay a $3.95 monthly fee, which is very low compared to other cards that charge $9.95 – $19.95 a month.

Your card can also be used to write physical paper checks to pay your bills. This will eliminate your need to purchase money orders. You can also deposit money on your card through 100,000 retail locations and use pay pal or a bank account transfer.

There is no credit check or chexsystems verification for this card. It also comes with a 30 day money back guarantee.

Your card will act just like a checking account. If you are in chexsystems it will eliminate the need to purchase money orders or pay check cashing fees.

You must be a US resident and able to identify yourself in accordance to the Patriot Act to qualify. In addition you also must be 18 years or older.

In sum we do suggest the Wired Plastic card. It works just like a bank account.

However you do have an alternative to a checking account. You can get a prepaid credit card that will give you free direct deposit.

This will save you money on check cashing fees. Also your card can be used to pay bills.

There is a free feature called bill pay that will enable you to pay your bills by writing a check from your account. This will save you money on purchasing money orders.

This card is just like a checking account. It is accepted over the phone and online, and can be used worldwide.

In addition your card can be used to build positive payment history. With the account now prepaid visa you can sign up for credit builder for free. This service will record the payments you make using bill pay and report those payments to a credit reporting agency. Providing you with a method to show future lenders you are credit worthy.

What is ChexSystems?

ChexSystems is a way for banks to screen out potential problem customers. You can be placed into chexsystems if you had a bank account closed for reason.

Reasons include:

- Fraud

- Overdrawing your account and the bank is unable to recover payment

- Opening an account with false information

Once you are placed into chexsystems it will be next to impossible to open a checking account. In addition your credit will be severely negatively impacted.

This mark stays on your credit for 5 years. Be aware that you may be able to open a new checking account but it will be closed once the bank runs your information and learns you are in chexsystems.

In sum if you are in chexsystems a prepaid credit card is a great alternative to a checking account. It will give you all the benefits of a checking account and more.