Few financial figures are as important as a credit scores. The three-digit figure has a major impact on daily life — dictating what consumers can buy, how much credit they can obtain and even where they choose to reside.

Send in one application to Orchard Bank, a subsidiary of HSBC, and you’ll be considered for four different cards. Based on your credit, you may be offered one of three unsecured credit cards or a secured card.

Your credit score is used by lenders to determine if you can get a mortgage loan and what interest rate they will charge you.  It is also used to obtain a car loan, cell phone contract –- even employers and landlords check it!  This is a precious 3 digit number you should try your best to protect.

The U.S. Bank Secured Visa Card, which is from a large bank, usually have the best credit card terms. Your security deposit can range from $300 to $5,000 and you earn interest on it, which is excellent. The fine print notes that your application could be denied if you’ve had a bankruptcy, are less than 18 years old, or if your security deposit is less than $300 to start.

If your credit history isn’t all that long or spotless, adding a credit account with a long, positive credit history to your report will certainly boost your score but how do you all of a sudden add an old account to your credit report?