Seriously? I've heard a lot of bad advice but this thread has packed a lot of it in a small space. Kudos to the last couple of posters who have tried to set the record straight and the OP at ease. Of course it varies somewhat from person to person but to tell someone not to apply for a credit card until their score is above 770 is absurd in most normal situations. My personal credit score is now up in that upper 700-range but I went for years collecting credit cards without a decline all while my credit score hovered in the very low 700's. Thank heavens I didn't get this sort of advice when I started this game or I'd have missed out on a lot of fun, free traveling in the last few years.