US Bank Secured

The U.S. Bank Secured is a straightforward credit-building tool: a secured card with no annual fee, and enough of a standard to land at #5 on our list of the best secured cards. It does exactly one job, which is to put a reported credit line in your hands while you establish or rebuild a history. Be clear about what it isn't: there are no rewards of any kind, no signup bonus, and no intro APR, so there is nothing here to earn. The 27.49% ongoing APR is steep, which means this card only works if you pay the statement in full every month. There is also a foreign transaction fee, so leave it behind when you travel abroad.