Wouldn't Credit It

So, the ongoing saga of how it is to be a foreigner in America and constantly getting messed about by the big corporation continued today when i finally got round to sorting out a credit card for my bank account. Now, first you should understand that i absolutely hate being in debt, and dislike credit cards immensely. I have always been of the mind that you should only spend money if you have it, rather than spending someone else's instead. Having said that, i also understand that in some cases they are, unfortunately, a necessity - such as in making purchases over the internet off some sites, and also (apparently) they are essential for hiring a car over here (i've been told that no credit card means no car here). In my case, it's also necessary for me to establish a credit history here - and will hopefully stop future companies asking for ridiculously large deposits instead (i find it ridiculous that you need a credit card to show you have a good credit history. Personally, i would've thought that NOT having a credit card would show you in a better light. But who am i?). It's not that i mind paying deposits cause, ultimately, i will get them back - but in the meantime, it is essentially 'dead money' not doing anything much at all.

Anyway, i wandered round to my neighbourhood Bank of America branch to see what the options were - and was met by a pleasant enough lady who told me that the only option open to me was a secured credit card - basically, i have to pay them the amount i want as my credit limit as collateral for the card. Somewhat confused by the name 'credit card' here, i asked why this was the case - only to be informed that it's cause i'm a non-US citizen and have no credit history here! Talk about Catch-22. Anyway, i went ahead with the whole thing - cause i think in the long run it'll help me. I suppose the one positive in all this is that the money i give them as collateral is actually put in a high interest account and will be gaining more than if it were in my current account (aka 'checking account' here). There is also the fact that 6-12 months down the line, provided good behaviour by myself with regards to the card and paying off, then i can be 'upgraded' to a regular credit card. Presumably this will be one where i can actually get 'credit'!!