Many Banks will "Count It Against You", if you have had
previous credit with a finance company.  Even if it's good credit!
It generally takes an income of over $35,000 per year to
quailify for a prestigous platinum or a gold credit card.
Banks that are currently advertising, have usually
lowered their requirements. These banks are your "best bet" for a
first time unsecured credit card.
Most Oil companies do not report to credit agencies. Oil
Company Cards will not help your credit rating, but can potentially
damage it.
Some states enforce a low-interest ceiling on their bank
credit cards, which makes these cards harder to obtain. If you live in
one of these states you may have to apply with an out-of-state bank.
There has not been a debtor's prision sentence since the
Nineteenth century.  You will not go to jail for a civil case,
reguardless of what your bill collector may say.
When you pay a bill, always include a few cents extra.
This will cause some computer systems to upgrade your credit rating
and/or your credit limit.
You can get "extra" credit from a secured credit card.
Many department stores will automatically give you one of their cards
when you show them a major credit card.
Ask specifically why you have been turned down for
credit. Many times it is something that can be easily corrected. For
example, your employmer may not be listed on your credit report.
Paying you bills on time does not insure a positive
credit report.  You must create a AAA credit report by having all of
your positive credit added and all negative remarks removed.
Beware about listing Stocks, Bonds and other investments
on an application. These are generally not used to get the loan, but
instead will be seized in the event your loan (or card) is not paid.
Welfare, child support, and alimony can all be claimed
as income on an application. Many banks consider welfare to be a very
stable form of income.
Some banks send out credit card applications to people
that have just declared Chapter 7 Bankruptcy, because a filer will not
be able to file for another 7 years and they are now debt free.
It's sometimes a wise idea to keep your bank accounts at
a different bank than your bank credit card.  If your payments are
behind or disputed, the bank can seize your cash accounts.
If an application ask for monthly income, most people
use their weekly income and multiply it by 4(weeks). A better and more
accurate way is to multiply your weekly income by 52 and divide by 12.