What are your thoughts on Dave Ramsey?

[banca rotta]

This IS the conventional wisdom, that gets so many into trouble!

And, after sticking to your plan and budget, you shouldn't need a credit card, but if you must, you can do it with one.

Be more concerned with Net Worth than FICO!

I agree!!! Several months ago I was watching a pretty popular reality TV show and long story short someone loaned someone else money as well as co-signed debt for a new restaurant and the husband of the person that made the loan and co-signed said "he wasn't so upset about not getting paid back but he was more upset that their credit score was ruined".

What a joke! If I had the choice I would rather have a higher net worth then a higher score!!! That's just me though...

About the only time a FICO has any meaning is for certain careers that require it because you can earn more money and have a job you love. Other then that I could care less about my score. Means nothing to me anymore.

[BillyRip]

This IS the conventional wisdom, that gets so many into trouble!

And, after sticking to your plan and budget, you shouldn't need a credit card, but if you must, you can do it with one.

Be more concerned with Net Worth than FICO!

Touche...

Maybe a debit card will be enough. I think you can hold reservations with one can't you? I haven't even tried because I can't travel right now any with my finances is such a shambles.

Going to go off on a rant here...

The friggin banks that got the trillion dollar bailout should have been required to close ALL of their call centers in India and bring those jobs back here!

Rant over...

[Never_Again]

Touche...

Maybe a debit card will be enough. I think you can hold reservations with one can't you? I haven't even tried because I can't travel right now any with my finances is such a shambles.

Going to go off on a rant here...

The friggin banks that got the trillion dollar bailout should have been required to close ALL of their call centers in India and bring those jobs back here!

Rant over...

You can hold reservations with a Debit card. You can generally rent a car with one as well. It may require some advance planning, may affect where you rent a car, and may require a higher deposit, but it can be done.

I am working on my emergency fund. It will hopefully be five figures before we are done. I plan to hold that in a high interest checking account, with a debit card. I don't see a problem with a rental company holding $500 to $1000 against an account that is worth twenty or more times that amount.

I think that is better than a secured card any day!

I like the call center comment, BTW...