The myth surrounding credit cards for fair credit is that they're kind of, well ...

Dear Creditnet: I just turned 18 and I'm finishing up my freshman year of college in May. My parents are already stressing to me that I need to start thinking about building credit in my name. They're willing to co-sign on a student credit card for me, but I'm pretty much clueless on what to look for in a card. Do you have any suggestions? And what's the most important thing I should consider in a card? Thanks! - Jenna from San Francisco, CA

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The answer may surprise you but, YES - if you have bad credit, unsecured cards for bad credit can cost you in the short term but save you some serious cash over the long haul when used correctly.

This isn't the first time we've brought up the pros of bad credit credit cards, but with so few defenders in their corner we decided it was worth an updated look at two of the most popular unsecured options for poor credit available on the market today.