Student Credit Cards: Benefits and Dangers

Every year, college fresher are bombared with offers for student credit cards. Parents need to speak about in talking about the duties that spell with having a credit card, before their boy or girl travels off to college.

I'm not suggesting that it's a bad thought for college students to have got their ain credit card. Actually, it have many benefits, but it is indispensable that they get the right card and usage it carefully and prudently.

The benefits of a student credit card are clear. Parents won't need to be continually sending money and students will be able to do normal purchases more easily. They will also be prepared for unforseen "emergencies." Moreover, since most credit cards have got a predetermined disbursement limit, parents can be certain that disbursement will stay within a pretermined amount. Parents should retrieve to bespeak a relatively low disbursement limit, since credit card companies are often too broad in the disbursement bounds they delegate to student credit cards.

Parents may wish to have got the student credit card used only for emergencies. In that case, this must be made quite clear to the student.

Some credit card companies offer very low "teaser" rates in the beginning for a limited clip period of time and then jack up up the interest rate to an exhorbitant degree afterward. Always check out the interest rate that volition apply after the introductory period.

Another pitfall to avoid is paying only the minimum payment each month. Often, the minimum payment only covers the interest for that month, and small or no money travels toward paying the principal. In that case, it may take decennaries to pay off the balance. In fact, if no money travels toward the principal, the balance will never be paid off!

Many credit card companies offer the ability to manage the account online. This is a very convenient feature. Students can check their balance or do payments from their checking account 24/7.

This characteristic also allows parents to supervise the account, even from thousands of miles away. This degree of accountability adds an extra border of safety and reduces the opportunities that the student will get into problem by over-using the credit card.