Build Your Credit Rating with Student Credit Cards

Having a student credit card able you to establish an early credit history. This article contains the proper way of building student credit and some practical tips on how to make most of your student credit card.

In the past years, students may have a hard time opening student credit card accounts for themselves. Because they don’t have credit history and no job, credit card companies are hesitant to extend credit for students. Today however, the situation has completely turned around.

The tough competition among student credit card issuers has brought about this great change. And because there is a large number of students who want to own credit cards, issuers simply cannot afford to ignore this market. Saying no to student customers would be letting go of big profit.

The introduction of credit cards for students has made it easy and convenient for young people to get a credit card of their own. Some credit card issuers may still require a cosigner but you can find many student credit cards that do not. Yes, even without a credit history and without a cosigner, a student can get approved without hassle.

In fact, one of the advantages of obtaining a student credit card is to establish credit history as early as possible. If you are in college, this will be the only time you can apply for a credit card and get approved with no questions. Once you’ve graduated with no credit history, you’ll have a more difficult time finding a credit card with good deals.

How to Build Your Student Credit Rating

So how can a credit card help you build your credit history? The only way to do this is to use your student credit card and be consistent with your payments. As a student, you need to be very aware of your spending and credit card use. Having a student credit card in your wallet is not a pass for splurging or overspending. It is up to you to take control over your spending.

The danger in owning a student credit card is the tendency to overspend and failure to keep up with your repayment. Some students are guilty of charging large expenses on their cards or forgetting to pay their monthly bills. As a result, debt builds up quickly until repayment becomes a burden.

To avoid such complications, a student must realize the importance of paying off credit card bills on time. Instead of carrying over monthly balances, it also best to pay off your charges in full every month. This way, additional costs such as the interest rate and late penalty fees are avoided. Aside from avoiding the risk of bad credit, doing so will also protect your credit.

Students must also stay vigilant against the threat of credit card fraud and identity theft. Safeguard your personal information and check your account regularly. Make it a habit to review your monthly billing statements to be sure that there are no unauthorized charges in your account. In case there are unfamiliar charges in your bill, don’t hesitate to call your credit card company right away to clarify the issue. Remember, you can dispute incorrect charges in your student credit card bill especially if you know that you did not make those purchases.

How to Know Your Child is Ready For Student Credit Cards

There is a point in every parent's life when they have to let go and allow their child to grow up and start to take on a life of their own. This often comes as a child graduates high school and takes off for college. But as a parent, you may not think they are ready for all of the things they need to know to get by in the world.

One of the important things you need your child to know before you 'let them go' is how to take care of themselves financially. This doesn't just mean making sure they know how to pay their rent and utilities bills, but also that they know how to take care of their credit so they can have a good line of credit throughout their lives.

Often college is when children get their first credit cards. But you may not be sure your child is ready. Here are three steps to getting them on the road to financial independence.

Have a Talk

You need to be confident that your child understands the importance of getting a credit card before you ever allow them one. The best way to assess this is to take a seat and talk credit cards with your child before approving them getting one. Make sure they understand the responsibility that comes with credit cards and that a failure to be responsible could follow them for years to come on their credit report.

Credit Card Light

Before you give them a normal credit card with a high limit, you may want to start a little smaller on the credit front:

Prepaid Credit Cards - You could begin with prepaid credit cards, which are cards that you charge with money, much like an ATM card. These will allow you to see if your child tries to keep going over their spending limits.

Student Credit Cards - Many of the student credit cards out there don't allow too high of limits. The best student credit cards are like starter credit cards that allow you to set the limits your child can charge to, so their credit can't get out of hand, even if they forget to be responsible.

Continue reading the article by Stephen Sikes