How do you get credit without having a credit card?

How much money do I need to get a credit card without a cosigner?

• I am interested in applying for either a Student Credit Card from BOA or Wells Fargo. I am under 21 and do not want to sign with a cosigner. I do not have a job currently. How much money do I need in the bank account for them to approve me for a credit card? Also I am turning 21 in half a year if I wait until 21 do I need to show them that I have money to pay off the credit card or will I be approved because I am 21. I have no credit, this will be my first credit card.

• Answer:

  You need a job, for at least for 6 months. Also you will need other credit, like a car loan or something because they don't just hand out credit cards the way they used to. They don't really care how much money you have in a savings account to give you an unsecured credit card. They base it all on current credit and job status. You may find a bank that will let you have a card with a credit limit of say 50% more or less of what's in your savings account, but you will no longer have access to it, since it's like collateral. However, since prepaid credit cards came out, banks pretty much stopped doing that too.