Harlan Vaughn was formally a credit cards editor for Forbes Advisor with over a decade of experience. With a deep understanding of the credit card industry, his passion for travel strategies ...

New credit: If you apply and receive several credit cards, the proliferation of new lines of credit will lower your score. Credit mix: Lenders want to see a variety of lines of credit across ...

Over time, secured cards can help to build up credit history and get your score out of the 500s, which can help you qualify for a more rewarding credit down the road.

If you have a 600 credit score, you're unlikely to get approved for top-tier credit cards, but that doesn't mean you have no options. Multiple issuers, including some of the bigger names in the ...