Most people are aware of the pitfalls of having bad credit, but what about when you have no credit at all? That can be nearly as much of a nuisance in your daily life.

With no credit history, you’ll have an uphill battle to secure a loan, get a credit card, rent a car or obtain an apartment. A credit history shows your level of risk to lenders, for example. So, if you don’t have a history to show that you are responsible with repayment, a potential lender may be more hesitant to take a chance on you. How can you show that you are a good risk if you don’t have any credit? You can’t. You’ll have to start building your credit history and the sooner, the better.

There are several ways you can start building your credit today:

• A secured credit card

If you don’t have any credit history, you’ll likely not be accepted for a traditional credit card. However, there are options for credit cards for no credit customers. These cards are known as “secured” because the credit limit is backed up by a payment or deposit paid by the cardholder in advance of the card being issued. For example, to obtain a secured card with a $500 credit limit, you’ll have to pay a deposit of $500 in advance. In this scenario, there’s no risk to the lender and you get the benefit of a credit card that you can use to make purchases just like any other card. In using this card and making timely payments, you can start to build a credit history. If you don’t make your payments, your deposit is forfeited. If you continue to pay on time, you’ll receive the deposit back whenever you close the account. A secured credit card is a great stepping-stone toward being able to qualify for a regular credit card.

• A credit-building loan

Like a secured credit card, this type of loan is specifically aimed at people with no credit. When you obtain a credit-building loan, the funds borrowed are held by the lender in an account, to be released to the borrower upon repayment of the loan. It’s a type forced savings, which allows you to build credit without risk to the lender.

• Use someone else’s card

Here, we’re not talking about simply shopping with someone else’s card – that will do nothing to help you to build up your credit. Instead, you can make arrangements to become an authorized user on someone else’s credit card. In doing this, you’ll have some credit card freedom while building your credit history, but you won’t legally be on the hook for the charges.

• Seek the help of a co-signer

One of the best ways to start building your credit from zero is through a loan. To do that, however, you’ll need to get a co-signer. A co-signer should be someone who has a good credit history, and it’s important to understand that your co-signer is going to be required to pay the balance of your account if you default on the payments.

These are just a few of the ways you can build your credit score if you don’t have any credit history. Whichever method you choose, it’s important to always make your payments, otherwise your efforts will all be for naught.

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