I got my first credit card, the Wells Fargo College Card, during my freshman year of college. I applied for a credit card because I wanted to be able to fend for myself when it came to housing applications, since some family issues had negatively affected my father's score. Furthermore, I knew that a good credit score would pay dividends in the future, when I was receiving a financing offer on a vehicle or qualifying for a mortgage for my first home. Looking back, opening this account was one of the best decisions I made as an undergrad, as it helped pave the way towards building a solid credit history, allowed me to maintain my sanity during difficult financial times, and enabled me to utilize sign-up bonuses on more exclusive credit cards.
I am proud to say that, 4 years and 5+ Credit Cards later, I pay all of my bills in full each month, have a credit score over 750, and have earned over $2500 in value (cash back + flight credit) from my credit cards!
These cards have no annual fee, a small-but-meaningful signup bonus, and do not require a perfect credit score. Therefore, I believe they are good choices for people who already have their first card (a college card, perhaps), and are looking to get a new card with more benefits.
In May of 2018, I signed up for my first premium rewards credit card, the Chase Sapphire Reserve. Next, I hope to get the Chase Freedom Card, whose rotating bonus categories net the equivalent of 7.5% cash back when paired with the Sapphire Reserve card.
