I got one of those credit cards last year that you have to pay a fee for. Most of the financial articles say it's a bad idea to get one of those cards, but my credit was so bad, the Lord himself would not lend me a dollar. I have had it for one year and my credit score is now 651. I applied for a second credit card with no fees from HSBC and got it. A few days ago I applied for a third card with no fees and got it. My plan it to keep the probation card until I get to 750, since they report activity every month to the credit bureaus. Once I get to 750, I will see if I qualify for a loan. If I reach that mark I will kill the Probation card. Do I have a good plan?

Sounds like a good plan. Where did you get the card from? Some companies, after you improve your credit, will switch you over to a new card with no AF and let you keep your history of that card.

I'd make sure it has reported at least one year before closing it.

If you keep your utilization below 9% on your credit report, you get near max points in the area of your scoring.

I am using First Premier.