Cynthetiq

I'm not sure, but at the point that he is in the student loans are just debt load. There isn't any history of payments.

As far as utilities, that is a slightly different story, but I'll let NoSoup weigh in for that.

Just because you have a credit card doesn't mean you'll sink into the 20% interest trap. Again, you have to be disciplined to use the card and pay it off. It is that simple. Some utilities take credit cards. Pay your utilities with the credit card, then pay off your credit card with the same funds you'd be paying with a check. The only difference there is you're "building" credit.

Credit cards aren't the only way, it's one of the simplest. You could get any dept store credit card, or small loan (still credit based) to make a purchase for a computer, car, other large durable good. The idea here is to show that you are trust worthy to pay it back.

Understand that last few words in that line. Pay it back. See that's the problem with those with the 20% interest trap, they didn't pay it back. They continued to accumulate more debt. And still didn't pay it back.

It is a simple recipe.

Pay for all the goods you're NORMALLY going to pay cash for with a credit card.
Put that CASH someplace safe and don't spend it.
Use that CASH to pay off your credit card at the end of the month.

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