O'Leary Urges One Card for $50 Monthly Spending
Shark Tank investor Kevin O'Leary says a small, fully repaid monthly charge on one credit card can help build credit.
Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in Credit Cards
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Kevin O'Leary advised young adults to use one credit card for roughly $50 of purchases each month and pay the balance in full. He posted the credit-building advice on X on a Saturday.
Why it matters
Building a credit history is often tied to how a person manages credit cards, and O'Leary's approach focuses on small, consistent use paid off on time. The advice contrasts with Mark Cuban's 2014 counsel to pay off balances and avoid cards altogether.
O'Leary's suggested spend is about $50 per month on one credit card, paid off in full each month. Cuban previously cited interest rates of 15% to 20% on credit card debt, and the extraction does not say how credit score changes would be measured.
The players
Kevin O'Leary
Kevin O'Leary is a Canadian businessman and investor best known as a judge on the television show Shark Tank.
Mark Cuban
Mark Cuban is an American entrepreneur and investor who owns the Dallas Mavericks and is also a Shark Tank investor.
The details
O'Leary said any small amount works if paid off on time every month, and that credit scoring algorithms raise the score regardless of how much is paid off. He advised getting a credit card right out of college and described the strategy as a financial hack.
Timeline
2014: Mark Cuban advised paying off credit card balances and avoiding cards.
Earlier this year: Mark Tilbury recommended his 25/50/15/10 income and expense rule.
Saturday, October 31, 2026: O'Leary posted his credit-building advice on X.
Market Dynamics
O'Leary's advice to keep a card in use with small monthly charges runs counter to Mark Cuban's 2014 counsel to pay off balances and stop using credit cards. The divergence reflects a long-running debate over how consumers should use revolving credit to build a credit history.
Using one card for a small monthly purchase and paying it in full can keep a card active without carrying a balance. Readers weighing this approach should compare it against the interest they would pay on any unpaid amount.
The takeaway
Consistent, full repayment matters more than the amount charged, according to the advice shared. Readers can test the approach with a single small recurring purchase and autopay set to the full statement balance.
Further reading
For more on managing revolving credit, see the Credit Cards section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Benzinga.
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