Re: Credit Card
I used to work at a bank and had some dealings with credit products and actual credit applications. Mind you this was not in the US but I think standards are pretty similar in most western countries.
Here is the thing, every time you apply for a CC the bank will do a credit bureau regardless of what the situation is. So this shows up as an inquiry on your credit bureau. Ultimately, too many inquires very quickly together are a red flag for banks that the person is a credit seeker (not a good thing). Many times this can be explained by the person such as searching for the best interest rate on a mortgage or whatever. But often it is something a bank will investigate.
But maybe your husband doesnt have alot of credit history and this is the reason for the decline, but that is surprising in the case of the secured credit card.
Hope that helps.