Seth Godwin (@seth.godwin), a popular finance and car expert, posted yet another viral self-help video about the five worst credit cards a person can get.
Godwin has been a mainstay of TikTok advice gurus since the pandemic and now boasts over 1.8 million followers. Popular videos, like Five Things to Never Say at a Car Dealership, The Five Most Dangerous SUVs, and The Three Worst Banks, have millions of views.
In his latest viral video, viewed 1.7 million times as of publication, Godwin advises viewers on which cards to avoid if they want to apply for higher limits and grow their credit.
What are the 5 worst credit cards?
Godwin begins his list with a category of cards rather than a specific card to avoid. Unfortunately for those of us who succumb to the temptation of paying for a large spending spree later by signing up for a store credit card, Godwin warns his viewers against them. Instead, he advises viewers to get a “general cashback or points-earning card.”
“[Store credit cards] offer horrible credit limits, which actually hurts your ability to get higher credit limits on good cards,” Godwin argues. “They also only earn rewards, typically cash back, at the stores they’re tied to.”
No. 4 on his list is also a broad category. This time, though, it’s a bank—Credit One, to be exact. For Godwin, the bank is so sketchy that he lists “any card from Credit One” as one of the worst. He further claims that Credit One’s “entire marketing strategy pretty much relies on people thinking they’re Capital One.”
Next on the list is the Indigo Platinum. According to him, “They give super low credit limits, a high APR, and it has a $99 dollar annual fee that has no perks that come along with it.”
Godwin’s runner-up is the Mastercard Black Card. He warns his viewers that it “relies on people thinking it’s a luxury card like American Express Black Card.” Unfortunately, he says the card has a $495 annual fee “with absolutely no way to make up the annual fee.” He also says the Black Card offers 2 percent cash back to customers, “which is the industry standard across cards that don’t have an annual fee.”
The winner of Godwin’s ranking is the Mastercard Gold Card.
“It has a $1,000 annual fee and only comes with a $200 airfare credit and the same measly 2 percent back that the Black Card has, but don’t worry, it’s a heavy metal card, and it’s gold-plated. Give me a freaking break,” Godwin concludes.
@seth.godwin The 5 WORST Credit Cards
♬ original sound – Seth “The Godfather” Godwin
Many viewers agreed with his picks.
“Credit one was THE WORST mistake of my life financially and well that’s saying something,” one said.
“I have 5 credit cards, and unfortunately theyre all on this list,” another remarked.
Other viewers asked for advice.
“I’ve heard to not cancel cards it hurts your credit but how do I get rid of my Indigo Card with it not hurting me?” a viewer said.
“Any recs for card for someone trying to rebuild credit? i have like 500 credit score,” a second added.
Surprisingly, lots of viewers defended the cards.
“I love my old navy cc their sales are crazy and I have 5 people to clothe. Just pay it off when you use it,” a viewer said.
“I think store cards like Ulta are worth it if you shop there pretty often!” a second agreed.
“Credit One did help me rebuild my credit,” another shared.
Though No. 1 and 2 on Godwin’s list are both Mastercards, the company, according to CNBC, is a “50-year-plus-year-old credit card network” known for reliability. Mastercards are primarily offered by banks like Citi and Capital One. Perks for these cards depend on the tier someone can qualify for. They’d also have to pay higher annual fees if they want good benefits.
NerdWallet advises future cardholders to “narrow your choices by asking the right questions.” These range from what type of card—like a secured, low-interest, or rewards—to whether or not it will help build credit or rack up points quickly.
The Daily Dot reached out to Seth Godwin via email and TikTok comment.
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