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You sound like you're responsible and careful. That's the first step. The second one is to do a little research and find the one that has the best interest rates and does not offer a "deal" for a little while that will backfire later.
One common mistake people make when getting a credit card is that they are sucked in by a very low interest rate which is offered as an introductory deal, then fail to read the fine print which tells them that if they ever make even one late payment that the interest rate will triple or quadruple! Goodbye good deal.
Another one is fees: a lot of credit cards, especially those offered to first timers, will have fees that are usurious--annual fees, late payment fees, low-balance fees--and so on. A reliable company will not charge as MUCH for these--but most card companies do charge them. Only very credit-worthy customers can get no-fee cards. You will most likely pay an annual fee. What you want to avoid are those higher, hidden fees that the companies charge for things you might not expect--such as NOT carrying an open credit balance on the card. In other words, they penalize you for NOT having debts or for paying off the entire balance every month. You want to try to avoid those.
Also avoid the traps of getting those "convenience checks" from your card company. They are given to people who have paid on time and as agreed sometimes--and they are very tempting because they temporarily "up" your credit limit for a large purchase--but they can cost you huge amounts in interest. They are not always at the same rate of interest as the normal balance on your card.
If you can, read through the entire fine print brochures that the card companies publish--they may be hard to find in some cases, but you need to know exactly what they can and cannot charge you for using the card.
Don't be seduced by airline miles either--they are nice if you can really use them before they expire or on things you really want to use them for--but sometimes they are so riddled with "conditions" they aren't worth the extra interest rate you might pay if you get them.
Your mom is probably right--USAA is a great financial institution and doesn't load up their products with a lot of extra fees and charges. And they have a proven track record.
Also, be careful about applying too many places in a short period of time--every hard inquiry on your credit report such as you get when applying for credit lowers your score a little bit.
And of course, pay on time, and for the first year or so, don't pay OFF the balance every month, but pay a bit more than the minimum payment--credit reports also show your "average" payment.
Good luck!
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