<prompt> Human: So let me start off by introducing myself a little bit. Im 20 years old, Ive never owned a credit card, But I spend a lot more than I own with my debit card. At times, when my bank account says I have 40.00, Ill spend 60.00 and wait till the end of the week to re-balance the account so my account is left at -20.00. Right now my account is in good standing, I have a couple hundred bucks in there. So I applied for a credit card, and got denied because my credit score is at 343. Im not quite sure what that means, but it obviously doesnt sound good. My question here is, now that I understand how to manage my money and Im saving and forming a financial foundation.. What methods can I use to improve my credit score and get out of this ditch Ive unknowingly dug myself into?Edit: Im with BoA. I dont NEED a credit card, I just wanted to start building credit by purchasing gas since the card they were offering me gave 3 cash back on gas. I realize I could invest in a gas card, but Im pretty sure those dont help me build credit.Edit 2: Thank you so much for your advice redditors, this is my first official post and Im really glad to see a community like this exists. :  <response>: Ok I was in a position similar to yours. You say you have never had a credit card, but you need to find out if youve neglected any bills that have since gone to collections. First step: Sign up for a free credit karma account. It will take you a while before you learn the ins and outs of credit karma, but it is a fantastic website. Just go down the main page and click on anything youre unsure of. Click on your credit reports and look through all the menu items like CollectionsOpenClosed accounts. Look through your recommendations. Although you may be tempted by credit karma, DO NOT apply for any credit cards yet. Find out everything you can through credit karma. How many hard inquiries? How many collections accounts and for what amounts? If you see any negative accounts, ensure they are valid and for your name. Often times wrongful information can be put on your credit account where it will sit until disputed. Once you have seen everything there is to see on creditkarma, go to annualcreditreport.com and pull your free and FULL annual credit report. Pay special attention to Experian because creditkarma does not yet work with Experian. Next step, assuming you have some negative marks on your credit, is to dispute them if inaccurate OR negotiate a Pay-For-Delete. This means you offer the debt holder full payment if they agree to delete the account fully from your credit report. Take Note: Simply paying a negative account on your credit report will NOT REMOVE IT. It will simply be marked as paid, which is still bad. Only make communication with these negative marks in written letter form, for which you send certifiedreturn receipt requested and you keep a copy on hand of all communications. Once youve started the process of disputing and negotiating, the next step is one or both of the following: 1. Use someone elses good credit to jumpstart your own. If you have a spouseparent who is willing to help you jumpstart your credit and trusts you, ask them to add you as an authorized user on their credit cards. Choose credit cards with higher limits and that the person has owned for a long time in good standing. This will transpose their good credit history into your credit report. It almost sounds too good to be true, but it helped me get my credit out of the dumps. 2. Get a secured credit card from capital one. Apply online for the secured platinum card. With a score like yours, youll likely have to pay the 200 deposit which earns you a 200 line of credit. Use it and pay it off every month. Once youve done this, you should see a drastic improvement in your credit. Your interest in your own credit is vital. I am 24 and for the longest time I just accepted that I had bad credit from charge-offs I ignored as a dumb teenager. Last year I started paying attention to my credit, and what started as just an inquiry has become almost like a hobby to me. I am currently hooked like a drug on improving my credit and check credit karma weekly. Since January 2015 ive gone from 525 to 663 confirmed via a paid FICO score from the 3 bureaus 