secured-credit-card-education-map/data/secured-card-education-map.json at main · creditplainly/secured-credit-card-education-map · GitHub

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{
  "schemaVersion": "1.0",
  "lastReviewed": "2026-05-16",
  "disclaimer": "Educational reference only. Not financial advice. No product recommendations.",
  "topics": [
    {
      "id": "how-secured-cards-work",
      "title": "How secured credit cards work",
      "doc": "docs/how-secured-cards-work.md",
      "creditPlainlyPath": "/credit-builder/how-secured-credit-cards-work",
      "keyIdeas": [
        "Requires a refundable security deposit that often sets the credit limit",
        "Still a revolving credit account — spending is borrowed and must be repaid",
        "May help build credit only if the issuer reports to major bureaus and you pay on time"
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "deposit-limit-utilization",
      "title": "Deposit, limit, and utilization",
      "doc": "docs/deposit-limit-utilization.md",
      "creditPlainlyPath": "/tools/credit-utilization-calculator",
      "keyIdeas": [
        "Low credit limits make utilization spike quickly",
        "Deposit does not count as payment toward your balance",
        "Paying down reported balances before the statement date may lower utilization"
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "secured-vs-credit-builder-loan",
      "title": "Secured card vs credit-builder loan (concept)",
      "doc": "docs/secured-card-vs-credit-builder-loan.md",
      "creditPlainlyPath": null,
      "keyIdeas": [
        "Secured card = revolving credit; builder loan = installment with held funds",
        "Both may help only with on-time payments and bureau reporting",
        "Neither guarantees a score increase"
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "questions-before-applying",
      "title": "Questions before applying",
      "doc": "docs/questions-before-applying.md",
      "creditPlainlyPath": "/credit-scores/how-to-build-credit",
      "keyIdeas": [
        "Confirm bureau reporting, fees, graduation policy, and deposit rules",
        "Plan for on-time payments and low balances",
        "Compare total cost of ownership, not marketing headlines"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "excludedContentTypes": [
    "best-card lists",
    "APR leaderboards",
    "paid partner or tracking links",
    "product rankings"
  ]
}