In the present times, it is nearly impossible to take out a loan without a credit history. Your credit report shows your creditworthiness to your lenders; that is, whether or not you can manage your finances well. If you have a good credit report and score, then the lenders/creditors will offer you loans on suitable terms and conditions, otherwise your loan application may be denied or you'd have to pay high interest on it. So, it is very important you have a credit history. Here are some ways to establish credit from scratch.

1 Take out a secured credit card from any bank

You can obtain a secured credit card from a bank by depositing an amount, which will be your credit limit. You can use this card to purchase things and repay the outstanding dues right on time. This will help you to establish a good credit record and will also establish your creditworthiness to your lenders/creditors.

2 Opt for a card from any departmental store

Charge cards offered by departmental stores are relatively easier to obtain. You can use this card to buy items from that store and manage it responsibly. Do not miss out the payment dates as it will ruin your credit record even before you build it properly.

3 You can finance a store purchase and establish credit

During the holiday season, a number of stores offer a plan through which you can purchase items on credit without paying any interest for a definite period of time, which is usually of 3 months. Since this is a type of credit, you can use this opportunity to establish a good credit history if you can repay the amount on time. However, make sure you read the fine prints before signing this kind of deal.

4 Open a checking and a savings account

A checking and savings account can also help you establish a credit history even if they are not considered as "credit'. You need to deposit and withdraw amounts from your account to show that you can manage your money quite responsibly. It will help you to obtain loans in future as these accounts will prove your financial stability. However, take care to not bounce any checks and it will hurt your financial image.

5 Get a person to co-sign your credit card

A credit card always help to build a credit history. But, when you're trying to take out a credit card for the first time, get a person with a good credit history to co-sign your credit card. By doing so, he/she takes the responsibility to repay the outstanding dues in case you default on the loan. So, when a person co-signs for you, make sure you make the payments on time and do not garnish the financial reputation of the person who has helped you to establish credit.

It is quite important that you check your credit reports from time to time so that you are well aware of the items and you can take necessary actions if there are mistakes in your credit reports. Always dispute the inaccurate negative items in your reports. You will be able to establish a good credit report if you pay your bills on time and monitor your credit reports regularly. In turn, this will help you to have a better financial future.

6Become an authorized user

If you want to improve your bad credit history or build up a credit of your own, you can become an authorized user for your spouse's or your parent's credit card. As an authorized user, you get charging privileges on another person's credit card. You will have to stay within whatever limits the cardholder sets for you. The card holder's good payment history for that account will appear on your credit record as you're the authorized user and will help you in building your credit. However, if the account holder misses payments, or the account goes into collections or the account holder files bankruptcy, then that bad behavior can also land on the authorized user's credit report. Thus, as an authorized user, you should monitor your credit report regularly to ensure the account is reporting and paid on time.

7Take out a credit builder loan

A number of banks and financial institutions are offering such loans in the present times as a large number of people are facing credit issues. This is something very similar to that of a secured card but this comes in the form of a loan and not in the form of a card. In this case, your bank or a financial institution offers you a small loan with which you purchase a CD. The financial institution or the bank will hold that CD unless you pay off the loan in full. As you make the payments to the bank, they will report it to the credit bureaus which will help you in building your credit. Moreover, once you pay off the loan, you will also own the CD!!

8Keep your good accounts active

Your good accounts can disappear from your credit report after 10 years if they become inactive or if you close them. So, if you have an existing account which you haven't used for a long time, then you should make a small purchase using that account. This will make your account active and will help generate a credit score. Normally your oldest account needs to be 6 months old in order to generate a credit score using the FICO scoring formula.