1. A new way to build credit. Build credit while you save (minus fees and interest)
2. Self Financial helps you get a small loan that you save in a CD for 24 months
3. All payments are reported to the three major credit bureaus as an installment loan which helps consumers build credit.
4. Savings plans start at $25/month and include credit monitoring
5. At the end of account term, you’ve built credit history and your CD savings unlock. (minus interest and fees)
Sample loans: $25/mo, 24 mos, $9 admin fee, 15.92% APR; $35/mo, 24 mos, $9 admin fee, 15.97% APR; $48/mo, 24 mos, $9 admin fee, 15.72% APR; $150/mo, 24 mos, $9 admin fee, 15.88% APR. See self.inc/pricing
Credit Builder Accounts & Certificates of Deposit made/held by Lead Bank, Sunrise Banks, N.A., SouthState Bank, N.A. each Member FDIC. Subject to credit approval.
Multiple Ways to Build Credit.
A CreditStrong account is the fusion of a secured consumer installment loan and a savings account. During the life of your CreditStrong account you build both credit history and savings.
Grow Credit offers a free Mastercard you can use to pay your subscriptions and build your credit. Build Credit For Free!
Build credit with Kikoff. The safe way to build credit..
Build (or rebuild) your score with curated, beginner-friendly tools from CreditVana. This page compares leading credit builder app options – like Self, Credit Strong, Grow Credit, Kikoff, and Kovo—so you can choose the path that fits your budget and timeline.
Pair your plan with creditvana credit monitoring for real-time credit monitoring, alerts, and personalized credit insights that help you improve credit score fast.
Self – Credit Builder Account: Save while you build. Fixed monthly payments are reported to all three bureaus; great for bad credit or no credit histories.
Credit Strong – Instal & Revolv: Multiple plans (installment + revolving) to diversify your mix – powerful for utilization and payment history.
Grow Credit: Use a free Mastercard to pay select subscriptions, then report on-time payments – an easy way to build credit with debit-like control.
Kikoff Credit Account: Low monthly cost, no hard check; focuses on payment history and utilization.
Kovo Credit Builder: Instant approval, no hidden fees, and rewards, an effective alternative to secured cards.
Actionable guidance: We explain what is a credit score, what is a good credit score, and exactly how to build credit fast without overspending.
Monitoring that matters: Track changes with CreditVana’s free credit score, weekly updates, and credit score monitoring that spots errors early so you can dispute credit report errors quickly.
One place to plan: From builders to cards and loans, compare everything in one hub, then apply with confidence.
Pick a builder that matches your cash flow (monthly amount + term).
Turn on autopay in the credit vana app to avoid missed payments.
Keep utilization low on any revolving products and add a secured card later to accelerate thickness.
Re-check progress often – check my credit score for free using our Free Credit Score dashboard and adjust your plan.
Small note: We also list select partner offers (e.g., CreditCardBroker — https://creditcardbroker.com/) to expand choices.
Best Rewards Cards
1 International and out-of-network cash withdrawal fees apply. Third-party and cash deposit fees may apply.
2 Vana Cash is a prepaid debit card issued by Community Federal Savings Bank (CFSB). Building credit with Vana Cash requires you to also open a virtual secured credit card with CFSB that is reported to the credit bureaus. Use money from your Vana Cash account to create a virtual secured credit card. Your debit card purchases are then added up to create a balance on your virtual secured credit card. As you make these purchases, an amount equal to the balance on your virtual secured credit card is also set aside in your Vana Cash account to ensure you can make timely payments to pay off the balance on your virtual secured credit card at the end of each month, allowing you to build a positive payment history. Credit Vana does not guarantee credit score improvement. Any predicted credit improvement from the use of your virtual secured credit card assumes that you will maintain healthy credit habits, including paying bills on time, keeping credit balances low, avoiding unnecessary inquiries, appropriate financial planning, and more.
3 Direct deposit and earlier availability of funds are subject to payer’s support of the feature and timing of payer’s funding.