<prompt> Human: The question upfront: is it smarter to get a loan at 17 interest or grab a credit card and slowly pay off whatever we use it for? Im pretty inept when it comes to credit but following this sub has help me grasp the concept a bit better My mother is trying to build her credit score and has been going back and forth with her bank and she went straight for a loan but I told her to think about a credit card especially since she doesnt need the money in one go. She likes having the cash and saving it herself vs depending on a bank to do so.Any advice? Sorry if it sounds like I dont know what Im talking about because I dont really.  <response>: Just get a credit card and pay it in full every month. Never pay interest to build credit, especially at 17. Thats just disgusting. 