However, in order to "verify" my account, I have to give information such a photograph of my state ID and credit card info.
I'm not one to willingly give away such personal information... is this something I should feel comfortable doing?
I'm personally really not comfortable on giving out KYC information
unnecessarily, but it's pretty much required if you want to use the reputable(but highly regulated) exchanges. To be honest I'd be more skeptical if a certain exchange allows trading but doesn't require KYC/AML. I personally only give out KYC/AML information
only when really necessary(and with these services heavily researched), and I personally think this is one of those cases that I think it's somewhat necessary especially if you want to be a trader(Coinbase Pro).
In the end, it's completely up to you. If you want zero KYC/AML, try services like Bisq; though non-custodial exchanges like Bisq aren't really the best platforms for active trading due to the bad spreads and liquidity.