Q. My son has bad credit from a few overdrawn checks in college. His only current bill is a monthly cell phone bill. He has no credit card and can't get one to begin building good credit. How does he start with no credit to pay off? Where can he get a credit card when he is denied anytime he applies from a mailer?

A. Your son will probably have to apply for what's known as a secured credit card. It looks just like a regular MasterCard or Visa card but the issuing bank will require a deposit of several hundreds dollars. It will use that money to pay his charges if he misses a payment.

The credit limit on the card will be low, probably however much he has on deposit. So send the credit card company a $500 deposit and he can charge up to $500. But using the card will still allow your son to establish a history of making regular monthly payments, which is what he needs to begin building up his credit score.

Here's where to find the best secured credit cards.