There is no one answer. However, a good recommendation is two or three.
There are a few reasons for this:
- A good mix of credit cards across multiple networks (Mastercard, Visa, etc)
- Keeps a low credit card utilization ratio
While there is no one answer, we do have a suggestion for those with suspect credit.
If you are recovering from bankruptcy, divorce, or any other bad credit incident or action, start with a single card. This card should be a secured credit card, as it will have no extra fees that a normal card would. There are fewer risks involved than with a traditional card.