Hey I'm seventeen but i want to build credit so i have a good start when i hit 18. is there any way of doing that, preferably without parental consent. my parents aren't all into the whole "planning ahead" thing i'm doing. thanks

To do it on your own, banks will require that you be at least 18 years of age. We always suggest for people in your circumstance to start with a secured card that you're parents could cosign on. If you agree to put up the deposit money yourself for the card, (which is essentially a deposit that you be drawing down on with the card), you're parents will likely be less hesitant since there's no risk of you going on shopping sprees unabated.

Keep in mind, that these types of cards can have substantial fees associated with them so shop around and be wary of cards with steep fees.

For a secured card, make sure that the card reports to the 3 major Credit Reporting Agencies. Many of these secured cards offer a service that will report your credit history to the CRA's for a fee (yes it costs money). A secured card that doesn't report to the CRA's will do you little good. So make sure the card reports to the bureaus, even if you have to pay for it as an add on service

Happy hunting!

Bill H.
http://www.creditcardassist.com