19M | CIBIL 760+ | 2 Secured Cards | Next Step in Credit Building?

[aniket001]

Hi everyone,
I’m 19 and currently building my credit profile carefully. Looking for structured guidance from experienced members.
Profile details:
CIBIL: 760–766
Credit age: ~5 months
Enquiries: 5
No late payments
Utilization kept under 30%
Axis Bank FD-backed card (Visa)
SBM RuPay secured credit card
I use RuPay mostly for small UPI spends and clear dues on time. A few unsecured applications were declined earlier, likely due to age and thin credit history.
Would appreciate guidance on:
Should I continue only with secured cards for 12–18 months?
Is it better to increase FD limit in one card or maintain multiple small secured cards?
After how many months of clean history should I consider applying for an unsecured card?
Does income matter more than credit age at this stage?
I want to avoid unnecessary enquiries and build the profile properly.
Thanks in advance.

 

[bekifaayatifan]

Should I continue only with secured cards for 12–18 months?
If the cards have good offers and are LTF, keep them I guess. Also, RuPay credit card allows you to pay via UPI. Ask the bank or branch before applying unsecured cards. They have their quotas to fill.

Is it better to increase FD limit in one card or maintain multiple small secured cards?
Depends on your need. If the FD is larger, you credit limit will be higher and you can purchase expensive items on credit. Also, most of the time credit limit will be shared between unsecured cards, if you have multiple cards from the same bank.

After how many months of clean history should I consider applying for an unsecured card?
On average 6 months between applying for new card or increase credit limit of existing unsecured card. You can also ask them at 3 months. But banks are annoying, they'll tell you to wait 1 year or more.

Does income matter more than credit age at this stage?
Yes. Any bank's best credit offer for a beginner will be half of your annual income. Some ask for credit check, some don't. If you opt for premier banking, rules will be relaxed.