Firstcard was founded in 2020 by Kenji Niwa, an immigrant founder who was turned down for his first U.S. credit card because he had no credit score. So he set out to build the card he couldn't get. Firstcard launched its own card, the Firstcard Secured Credit Builder Card. The program received more than 250,000 applications and served tens of thousands of cardholders. In February 2026, Firstcard became a marketplace for financial products, with the same mission: to help people build credit and reach financial freedom. Today we compare credit cards, cash advance apps and credit builders, so you can choose the right one with confidence. This editorial team is led by Chief Editor Kenji Niwa. We check fees, APRs and terms against each provider's own documents and note the date we checked. We also interview real users and the companies that offer credit cards and loans. Our ratings use the same standards whether or not Firstcard earns money from a product.