Answer: -I think you are on the right track, but some lenders are looking for certain types of loans. If you've never had an auto loan, and paid it off then an auto financing company or bank won't approve you on an auto loan. So you may want to consider that since I'm not sure what you're planning to do once you improve your credit. In addition to getting a secured credit card, ask your bank what criteria they would use to issue an unsecured card. And watch out for fees, some CC companies are out there to take advantage with things like application fees, account initiation, annual fees, blah blah blah. Bankrate.com has tons of info on best deals. I have Capital One as an unsecured credit card but be careful, since they are one of the only companies that don't report your credit limit and this can make it look like you're using more credit than you actually are.Also you want to pay down other debts like student loans as much as possible if you have any before you do like #5 & 6 especially if any are behind. A dept. store card is sometimes easier to get and if you only make small charges and then pay off the balance it will help your credit slightly. I would say the same with gas cards but most oil companies have switched to bank-issued credit cards with discounts, which aren't as easy to qualify for.I've also had positive credit reported from a gym membership. So you'd be surprised the places that report so you can always ask anytime you're using payment plans to buy anything. -Sounds like an excellent plan (unless you get sidetracked by Answerer # 1 who is showing her "2 points")