College Student Credit Cards

Is a Student Credit Card Actually a Credit Trap?

Your bright-young-thing goes to college as a student, away from home for the first time, full of the thrill of freedom. And she needs money to spend. While teaching her to manage her money, very often the question is – is it ok to let her have access to huge amounts of credit in the first place? Is it OK to give her a student credit card? Credit card companies are among the first to line up at her door with their attractive offers including freebies, zero interest offers, etc. Before you know it, the student credit card becomes a family liability – a credit trap from which it is difficult to escape. What should one know about credit cards for college students in order to avoid this credit trap?

Pros and Cons of Student Credit Cards

Student credit cards are, in fact, more good than bad. Like anything else, one needs to learn how to choose and handle them correctly, how to position them as an opportunity to build a good credit history, and how to control their usage. A student credit card can be used to teach budgeting and finance as well as to allow flexibility in expenditure while making it safer to use than cash.

Joint Ownership of a Student Credit Card

You need to first see what kind of credit card is best suited for your teen. Some credit cards allow joint ownership between student and parent – that’s the one for you. Lay down a few rules about usage, including deciding on a budget and penalties for misuse. Pick up the credit tab regularly but allow the student to pay back some of the balance with their own earnings. This will encourage them to hold summer jobs and part-time jobs and learn to earn. The advantage of a joint card is that the parent gets a monthly statement which allows them to monitor all expenditures. That’s an opportunity for developing a sense of value in the young college student.

Credit cards for college students can have very low credit limits. This places a restriction on the total spend, forcing the student to think and plan their expenses. Parents can use these cards to show how the money spent needs to be repaid. It can also be an opportunity to teach budgeting to your child and teaching them to choose between what one needs and what one wants.

Student Credit Card Incentives

Companies that issue credit cards for college students also woo clients through attractive cash back or reward points schemes. Once the student sees value in spending intelligently, and pockets rewards for making the right choices, they may look for occasions to use the credit card knowing that there is repayment that is within his control. It allows them the freedom to make the purchases now, knowing that they have the ability to pay it all back in time. Above all, a student credit card becomes invaluable in times of emergency when cash and parents are far away.

So if you want to prevent your family and your teen from falling into the credit card debt trap, you need to first have a sensible and disciplined approach to credit cards yourself. Teens will sub-consciously follow your financial example and behavior patterns when they have access to a student credit card. Therefore, a student credit card can quickly become a ticket to financial freedom or it can deteriorate into a credit trap. The solution lies in giving limited exposure to your child by opting for student credit cards that offer joint ownership. Credit cards for college students are great opportunities for them to begin building a good credit history, which is an important consideration in their first jobs. However, if the teen gets confused signals and is unable to prioritize their budgets, then they will certainly head for trouble. Therefore, the first credit card used by your teen can become a credit trap as easily as it becomes an avenue to financial freedom.

About the Author

For more information on student credit cards, Kim Stevens recommends that you visit student credit cards, Kim Stevens recommends that you visit CreditCardAssist.com.

The Skinny on Credit Cards: How to Master the Credit Card Game $8.59 The Skinny on Credit Cards, How to Master the Credit Card Game. Finally, someone has written a book which is clear, concise and comprehensive on the subject of credit cards. The Skinny on Credit Cards will be helpful to everyone from the young adult getting his or her first card to the older adult who has used cards for years and never really totally understood the rules of the game. The Skinny on…

Money Management for College Students $3.00 Paying for college is one of the most challenging situations you’ll ever have to face. Every year, thousands of students’ hopes of starting college are dashed by bad planning and bad money management. And many who do graduate are burdened with a heavy educational debt that prevents them from pursuing the full potential of their diplomas. But you don’t have to be among them.Leading Christian financ…

Credit Card Debt: $1.36 Leave Home Without It…Membership has its privileges, but it also has a huge share of disadvantages. Without the proper know-how and guidance, you could find yourself buried beneath an avalanche of credit card debt. Millions of Americans are just like you and are currently attempting to pay off $450 billion to credit card companies. It’s in a credit card company’s best interest to keep you in deb…

…

LSU Tigers Game Day Mini-Pak $9.99 NCAA LSU Tigers Game Day Mini-Pak…

Financial Basics $18.95 Jason is typical of today’s college students, who are assuming unprecedented debt burdens because of relaxed limits on student loans and easily obtained credit cards. Many on college campuses are calling it a fiscal crisis. Financial Basics tackles the gaps in the personal financial knowledge of college students. Beginning with debit-credit card issues, student loan decisions, and the challenge of managing and reducing debt, Knox walks readers through money management. She skillfully addresses the how to’s of checking accounts, spending plans, emergency funds, and credit histories. She discusses financial personalities and the emotions of money, as well as practical record-keeping and simple filing techniques. In Financial Basics, Knox blends her extensive money-management experience with her desire to inform and help students master their finances: she shares experiences about money lessons learned in college, and offers sound solutions and advice for students and their families. Since everyone does not handle money in the same way, Knox gives money-management options for readers to find their best way. The book includes helpful worksheets and is written in an easy-to-read style, using testimonials and examples that will ring true to students.

The Big Bucks: How to Manage Money Now That You’re on Your Own $4.49 Every year approximately 460,000 people under the age of 35 years old declare bankruptcy. In the last decade, loan debt has risen 142% for college students.1 The Big Bucks will explain in clear, conversational language the basics of money management-from credit cards to checking accounts to leases on cars. This is the info students need to know as they head off to college. It’s the perfect graduation gift for any student in your church or school!