Tools & Resources
Reputable credit building, rent reporting, monitoring, and official bureau links — plus watch-outs and guardrails.
Affiliate Disclosure: Some links on this page are affiliate links through Greenlight. If you choose to sign up, NorthStar may earn compensation at no extra cost to you. We only share tools that are publicly available, and you should always verify terms on the official site.
NorthStar is not a credit repair company and does not remove accurate information from credit reports. This page is educational and informational only.
Important: Pricing and features change. Always verify current terms on the official website before signing up.
Credit Builder Accounts & Loans
A credit builder account where you make monthly payments into a savings account. At the end, you get the money you paid in (minus fees and interest). Your payments are reported to all three credit bureaus.
Who it's for:
- People with no credit or thin files
- Anyone wanting to build savings while building credit
- Those who want to avoid traditional credit cards
What it helps with:
- Building payment history
- Establishing credit accounts
- Forced savings habit
Watch-outs:
- There are fees and interest charges
- You don't get access to the money until the term ends
- Missing payments defeats the purpose
Pricing note: Plans start at around $25/month. Verify current pricing on the official site.
Credit builder loans with several plan options. You make payments that go into a savings account while building credit history. They offer different term lengths and payment amounts.
Who it's for:
- People wanting flexible payment options
- Those who want to build credit and savings simultaneously
- Anyone looking for alternatives to Self
What it helps with:
- Building payment history
- Adding an installment loan to your credit mix
- Saving money over time
Watch-outs:
- Interest and fees reduce your final payout
- Longer terms mean more interest paid
- Must complete the full term to get maximum benefit
Pricing note: Multiple plans available starting around $15/month. Verify on official site.
A credit account that reports to credit bureaus. You get a small credit line to make purchases from their store, then pay it off. No hard credit check to open.
Who it's for:
- People with no credit history
- Those who want to avoid hard inquiries
- Anyone wanting a low-commitment way to start
What it helps with:
- Building initial credit history
- Establishing accounts without hard pulls
- Getting started with minimal risk
Watch-outs:
- The credit line is small and limited to their store
- May not have as much impact as larger accounts
- Not a substitute for learning to manage real credit
Pricing note: Has free and paid tiers. Verify current pricing on official site.
Rent Reporting Services
A service that reports your rent payments to credit bureaus. If you're already paying rent on time, this turns that into credit-building activity.
Who it's for:
- Renters with on-time payment history
- People who want to build credit without new debt
- Those with thin files who need more accounts
What it helps with:
- Adding positive payment history
- Building credit without credit cards
- Leveraging payments you're already making
Watch-outs:
- Only helps if you pay rent on time
- Not all scoring models weight rent equally
- Some landlords may need to verify payments
Pricing note: Verify current pricing on official site.
Reports your rent payments to TransUnion. Can also report up to 24 months of past rent payments.
Who it's for:
- Renters wanting to add payment history
- People who want past rent payments counted
- Those building credit without traditional accounts
What it helps with:
- Adding rent to your credit file
- Potentially backdating positive history
- Building credit passively
Watch-outs:
- Only reports to TransUnion (not all three bureaus)
- Fees apply
- Landlord verification may be required
Pricing note: Verify current pricing on official site.
Kikoff also offers rent reporting as part of their services.
Who it's for:
- Existing Kikoff users
- Renters wanting bundled services
What it helps with:
- Adding rent payments to credit file
- Bundling with other Kikoff services
Watch-outs:
- Check which bureaus they report to
- May require Kikoff account
Pricing note: Verify current pricing on official site.
Credit Monitoring
Credit monitoring and identity protection service. Provides access to credit scores and reports with alerts for changes.
Who it's for:
- Anyone wanting to track credit changes
- People concerned about identity theft
- Those actively working on credit improvement
What it helps with:
- Monitoring for changes to your credit file
- Catching errors or fraud early
- Tracking progress over time
Watch-outs:
- Monthly subscription cost
- Scores shown may differ from what lenders see
- Free alternatives exist (though with fewer features)
Pricing note: Verify current pricing on official site.
An AI-powered credit management tool that helps identify issues and can assist with disputes.
Who it's for:
- People who want help managing credit improvement
- Those who find the dispute process confusing
- Anyone wanting automated monitoring
What it helps with:
- Identifying potential errors
- Streamlining the dispute process
- Tracking credit changes
Watch-outs:
- Has free and paid tiers
- AI assistance isn't a substitute for understanding your own credit
- Results vary based on your situation
Pricing note: Free tier available. Verify paid tier pricing on official site.
The Three Credit Bureaus
Your credit information is held by three major bureaus. Each may have slightly different information, which is why your scores can vary.
One of the three major credit bureaus. Lenders may check your Equifax report when you apply for credit.
Visit EquifaxOne of the three major credit bureaus. Also offers free credit monitoring through their consumer site.
Visit ExperianOne of the three major credit bureaus. Some services (like RentReporters) report only to TransUnion.
Visit TransUnionAnnualCreditReport.com
This is the only official source for free credit reports from all three bureaus. You can get one free report from each bureau every week.
Why it matters: This is where you go to check for errors, see what's on your file, and understand your credit situation. Don't pay for reports elsewhere — get them free here.
Trusted Educational Resources
These government and nonprofit resources provide reliable, unbiased information:
Authorized User Accounts
Being added as an authorized user on someone else's credit card can help build your credit — but there's a right way and a wrong way to do it.
A trusted family member or close friend adds you to their credit card as an authorized user. Their payment history on that card may then appear on your credit report.
What to look for in the primary account:
- Long history (the older the account, the better)
- Perfect or near-perfect payment history
- Low utilization (ideally under 10%)
- The card issuer reports authorized users to credit bureaus
Benefits: Can help establish credit history quickly, no hard inquiry, you don't have to use the card to benefit.
Buying tradelines from strangers
Some companies sell "tradelines" — they'll add you as an authorized user on a stranger's account for a fee.
Why this is risky:
- It's ethically questionable
- Lenders are wise to it — many now discount these accounts
- Scam potential is high
- It can backfire if the account has problems
- Some issuers prohibit it
Our recommendation: Don't do this. Build credit the legitimate way. It takes longer, but it's sustainable and won't put you at risk.
People Also Ask
Self and Kikoff are both good starting points. Self builds savings while you build credit. Kikoff has no hard inquiry to open. Choose based on whether you want to save money (Self) or minimize commitment (Kikoff).
Not necessarily. Free options exist through some banks, credit card issuers, and services like Experian's free tier. Paid services offer more features, but free monitoring is enough for most people.
If you pay rent on time and have a thin credit file, yes — they can add positive history without new debt. But check which bureaus they report to and understand that not all scoring models weight rent equally.
We provide this information for educational purposes only. We are not affiliated with any of the services listed and do not receive compensation for recommendations. Pricing, features, and terms change — always verify current information on official websites before signing up. Results vary based on your individual situation.