Don't think that because of Divorce, Medical Bills, and/or Bad Credit History that the only credit card you can get is one with high annual fees, security deposit, and low credit limits. Capital One might be able to help you.

After my divorce, my Ex didn't work for 2 years. His creditors didn't care that the judge said he was responsible for those bills. They wanted their money!! Hence, the garnishment notices for my paycheck for the vehicle he bought a month before he left me, the line of credit at a new bank that he opened a week before he left me, so on and so forth.....

I don't need to go into a rant about my Ex and what he did to my credit. But, in the aftermath, I am trying to again establish a good credit pattern. Capital One is helping.

I received a Mastercard after a painless application taken over the phone. It took about 10 minutes and my card arrived in 2 weeks.

There is a $49/annual fee and a service charge of $6.00/month. Now, for those of you who have great credit - these charges are HIGH!! But for those of you who are having trouble obtaining credit, these charges are very modest. Compare them with other "high risk" credit companies. I received on offer the other day for a credit card with a $300 limit but after all the initial charges I would have had $250 charged to the card before I even used it!!!

I have not had any trouble with the service department. They have a 24 hour phone line where you can check your available balance, date of last payment, etc etc... You can also utilize their website for this information and sign up for any other services or offers they might be offering.

The statements are easy to read and list available avenues for assistance should you have any questions or problems. They also give you a supply of checks that you can use just like any other check from a bank. This is nice if you are in a crunch and need to pay a bill or transfer balances from another card.

There are some negative aspects to this card. The interest rate is high. Around 23%. But, I don't carry a balance so it doesn't affect me too much. The credit limit will also be very low ($200 - $300) until you have made 6 months of payments of time. Then, if you need additional credit, you can request it. Or, they might extend your limit without a request.

And, just like every other credit card company, there are the annoying telemarketer calls offering special deals to Capital One Credit Card Holders.

Capital One is a good starting point whether you are just beginning or starting over. I would not recommend it to someone who is already established with a good history.

Recommended: Yes