Most banks and credit cards offer overdraft protection. Sometimes it is referred to as a “cash reserve”. Why this is included in the book is because many of these institutions will report the overdraft protection to the credit bureaus as a “Line of Credit”. This serves as yet another opportunity to get good credit to show up when the deck is stacked against you. Contact your current bank, or other local banks and credit unions to see if they offer it. Ask if they report to the credit bureaus. Remember, it only helps if they report it to the bureaus. It goes without saying that you do not want to use the protection if possible.
