Credit Cards

• Credit card accounts help you establish a credit rating by creating a payment history. If the payments are made on time, you will have a positive rating. It can be hard to get a credit card without a credit rating, but Wells Fargo has a couple of recommendations. You can get a secured credit card, which requires a deposit, with an issuer that will convert it to a regular account if you maintain it for a certain length of time. If you're attending college, you can apply for a credit card that's marketed to college students; these cards are easier to qualify for than a regular account.
  
  

Other Cards

• Department stores and gasoline companies often are willing to open accounts for people who don't have an established credit rating. If you open two or three of these accounts, make some minor purchases and make regular on-time payments, you will establish a good credit rating.
  
  

Utilities

• You can also help build your credit rating by having the utility bills for your home or apartment put in your name and paying them on time. These can include gas, electric, water, phone and cable television bills. Note that you might have to put down a deposit to establish these accounts if you don't have a credit rating.