I've heard of people using pre-paid credit cards as a way to help with their credit scores.

Basically, its a credit card that you use like a debit card but they regularly report to credit agencies which helps your rating.

If you can get the store cards paid off...that would be a smart thing to do. Obviously it would help your credit rating but more importantly, the interest payments on those store cards are astronomical.

The other alternative is to have a close family member who's helping you through the divorce process co-sign on a credit application for you. Someone that trusts you and that you trust. That would also help boost your rating.

Good luck!

Discover is a good one and I use the cash back bonus to help pay the balance, but be careful not to rely on them and just use them when you have to for things like car repairs, etc.

Thanks but my credit is quite good (and I have a Discover card). I just want to get a Visa or Mastercard but am afraid having a bunch of open accounts with high balances might preclude me from getting one now. I'd like to close a few that I don't need (or lower the limit) but sometimes lowering the limit lowers your credit score and I don't want that. Seems like a tricky situation

What about getting a small consolidation loan at a lower interest rate than you're paying on store cards.

You can pay off the debt on all the cards, cancel those accounts (and you have to cancel them...not just pay off the balance) and then pay down the debt on the one loan. In addition, like I said, getting the pre-paid VISA would help.

Its just never a good thing to have a bunch of cards with balances on them.