So I got in over my head with credit cards in the past, which has tanked my score pretty substantially. I realise it was irresponsible, but a large part of this was also the financial circumstance I was in - and needing to make ends meet.

I’ve since been given several raises at work and post-COVID I can wfh in a less expensive city. I’m rebuilding with a secured line of credit, been paying off my debts and once the divorce is finished and know I don’t need the money I have available will pay off the remaining.

But things are moving slower than I hoped. In four or five years I’d like to sell my house and buy something in a place I actually want to live with fewer negative feelings surrounding. I have enough equity right now to pay off the loan I took out for the roof and probably have another 10K toward a down payment, so in that time I’ll have another 5-10K, plus whatever I can save.

I keep hearing that with responsible use a credit card will be one of the best options to rebuild credit. So my plan is to autopay the monthly balance, and given that I’m only approved for $500 - I can certainly afford that, especially if the purchases I make aren’t coming out of my checking account. So I figure if I buy gas or groceries on the card even if I max it out I can just pay it down every month and not have to carry over a balance.

But still, a nagging voice tells me that it’s a scam - like this is something that credit card companies tell you? It wasn’t really my experience before, though I carried over pretty high utilisation month-to-month, so I’m guessing that explains it.

What are your thoughts? Do credit cards actually build credit, or am I walking into a trap?