Are there any specific debit and credit cards that you would recommend? And why?

General credit advice inbound, being that I don’t know your exact spend. Credit is safer than debit, and can also offer points back on spend. A credit card is not linked to any bank account directly, so if it is compromised they don’t access the bank directly. With that you can also match your spend to a card that matches what you purchase with its categories . People often talk about how great flying cards are and how you should get xyz card, let’s use Amex Platnum. With the Amex platnum, you have an annual fee of 700 currently. While yes it has a lot of features, you’d have to use them all, and still want to come out on top, assuming you used no features you’d need to spend 70,000 dollars on the card to break even. That being said, if you wouldn’t have bought with cash or debit, you should not buy with credit. Think about debit being money earned from the past, and credit being the money you’ll earn in the future. If you would not want to spend your hard earned paycheck on the item, you shouldn’t. If you are unable to maintain that control, then sticking with a debit card is the ultimately safe option without allowing you to create a financial misstate. That being said if you still want to build credit, and make points but use a debit card, I believe a company named Extra has some product like that you could check out.

I have two primary cards that I use for just about everything: Chase Freedom and Discover. Both offer cash back on every purchase (with some bonuses as well) and no annual fee. Interest rates are high, but I pay them off every month so I don't pay a penny toward that.

Hit enter too soon. Wanted to add that this type of thing takes discipline. In my past, I've been careless with credit and paid the price. Today, I'm very careful about only spending as much as I can afford to pay off at the end of the month. That being said, I've made thousands of dollars in cash back over the past few years, so it's definitely paid off (literally).

I really like credit unions and community banking. Not a fan of the larger big box brands. I'd say if you have a local credit union you can vet through local businesses or friends, you would be better off going with them than a large bank like Chase or BOA