Credit Cards for People without SS numbers?

Unbelievable, but that's what Bank of America is going to offer soon. I'll refrain from getting into a political discussion here, but I'll just cite this as more evidence that banks are bending over backwards to give people credit. Whether it's a pre-paid credit card, a bank line of credit, or what have you, there is always a way to get credit if you don't already have it.

Yes, it is possible to have credit ruin your life. But fundamentally, that is your choice; you ruin your own life through credit. You can't blame a credit card company or anybody else if you run up a boatload of debt. It isn't hard to take personal responsibility and manage your credit successfully. If you do, you can profit in many ways. From gift certificates to airline miles to lower interest rates on your mortgage. You can work within the system and work it to your benefit. It just takes a little self-discipline and getting over your fears about money.

If you don't have a credit history, get started now. I'm not the only one saying so; there is a new blog out there called CreditPro, run by a professional credit counselor. To my chagrin, the topics are pretty similar to what I've covered here, yet it seems to be much more popular (69 comments on one entry!) despite only being around for about a week. Anyway, enough jealousy; the CreditPro blogger seems to be pretty good, so if you read my blog, you should check out that one too.