If you need to establish credit, or rebuild your damaged credit, a secured credit card may be exactly what you need. Even if your credit history is rough, a secured card will not only guarantee approval, but will go along way in establishing good positive credit and habits.

Secured cards are typically guaranteed to get approved. That's because you are required to deposit money into a savings account with the card issuer. This deposit will be the same as your credit limit, so if you want a $1000 credit limit you would deposit $1000. This pretty much guarantees that the creditor will not lose their money and that guarantee will get you approved.

The credit limit does not have to be high, which is a good thing. To improve your credit, you need to establish good history. Don't go out and max out your card right away! Don't wait until the last day of the month to make a payment. And don't think of this card as anything more than a tool.

If you treat the new card like a good credit "tool" you will set yourself up to reap the rewards very soon. Here are a few things to do with your card:

Right away, pay off any automatic charges to the card, including the enrollment fee (if any), the annual fee (if any) and any other fees you agreed to pay up front. These will get added to your first statement.

Next, once those fees are paid, use the card sparingly. Don't max out the limit. Rather only use about 10-20% of the card's limit. (Again, if you have a $1000 limit, charge between $100-200 a month.) It is recommended you only charge items you would have bought anyway... gas, groceries, etc. When your bill comes in, pay it off completely again so you don't pay any interest.

By following these simple directions, you will build positive credit and begin to turn the bad credit around. Best of luck to you.