Tag Archives: student credit
College Student Credit Cards: Friend or Foe?
There is much debate surrounding college student credit cards. Some swear up and down that they’re a disaster waiting to happen while others vehemently object and insist they are a must-have financial tool for college students. Which side is right?
When deciding whether college student credit cards are good or bad, you need to weigh the facts. These three truths will help you come to your own conclusion.
1. Aggressive Marketing
College student credit cards have gotten a bad rap when it comes to their marketing tactics — and some would say that it’s for good reason. You can’t hit a single college campus without coming across at least one application for college student credit cards.
That being said, while the applications are definitely readily available (to put it lightly), no one is forcing college students to sign the application. It’s the responsibility of a parent to instruct their children on wise financial decisions.
The credit card companies are marketing their product — that’s what they do. Parents need to do their part and make sure that they instruct their children in the ways of the credit world.
2. They’ve Got to Grow Up Sometime
Everyone has to grow up sooner or later and college student credit cards can provide some priceless lessons in the world of adult finance. For the first time, college students can be responsible for their own spending and their own monthly bills.
Yes, college student credit cards can provide the potential for disaster (but so can a number of situations that students encounter in college). Just because student credit cards have the potential to be misused, it doesn’t mean that they will be. Have some faith in today’s college students!
3. Paving the Way
Once a college student graduates, they’re going to need some things (a place to live and a car to name a few) and they’re going to need credit to get the things they need. If they don’t start building their credit history in college, when are they supposed to do it?
If a college student wants to be completely prepared when they graduate, they’re going to need to work on building a solid credit history while they’re in school. College student credit cards can be the means to that end.
If you know a college student (or are a college student) who has been debating about whether college student credit cards are good or bad, consider the above three facts and remember, it’s not college student credit cards themselves that are good are bad — it is who is using them and how they are being used that make the difference.
Credit Card for Students
For most university students, credit cards arent high on their priority list for things to take care of after all, students with loans can pay for things with direct debit from their bank accounts, as can students that are being assisted financially by their parents.
The simple truth of the matter is that most students dont think about credit cards, so that when it gets to the point that they need one, they end up rushing through the selection process, ending up with a credit card that isnt optimal for their needs or worse one that actually ends up being detrimental for them in the long run.
So what should a student seeking a credit card do? Simple, they need to research! Look at a wide variety of student credit cards, their benefits and their drawbacks. Only select one that you feel comfortable with and that you feel addresses your needs well, while not providing you with too many setbacks.
So what characteristics should you look for? Well, here are a few things to keep in mind in your search for the perfect student credit card.
Fees
Some credit cards charge you an annual fee for their usage; I like to counsel students to stay away from these types of credit cards, as usually their good points are not enough to outweigh the fact that you have to pay for them. Youve already good tuition, textbooks, residence and many other things to worry about, no sense in adding another to the list.
Credit cards that charge annual fees are intended more for business people that spend lots of money and have lots of disposable income, not for students on a fixed budget. As a result, most student credit cards wont have such a fee attached to them. If they do however, consider whether you really need the benefits of that specific credit card before you sign up for it.
Spending Limits
When I started my first year of undergraduate studies, the first credit card I applied for had a credit limit of $500, and it ended up being more than I needed at the time. As I went through University and my general expenses increased, I ended up applying to have that limit raised to $1000 and adding a second credit card with a limit at $1500 this was mostly just for when I bought textbooks or paid for tuition, as I wanted to get the maximum advantage out of my credit card bonus plans, but it was a good example of me getting the most out of the cards.
Incentives
Incentives are bonuses that the companies attach to their student credit cards in order to entice more people into signing up for them. A good example of this is the “cashback” credit card, where a certain small percentage of what you spend on your credit card is refunded to you.
A credit card that was popular amongst friends of mine was the grocery credit card, which was given out by one of the chains of grocery stores where we lived. Instead of direct cashback, they offered a store credit that was twice the value of most cashback plans at the time, the practicality of which appealed to a lot of students.
Interest Rates
Ideally, this shouldnt ever be a problem, as youd be able to pay off your balance each month and thus never accrue interest on your account. Practically, however, things wont always work out that way. Therefore, interest needs to be a concern as well.
The industry average for credit card annual interest rates is somewhere in the 19-23% range, compounded monthly. However, being a student you should take advantages of the discounts available to you if you do your research, you should be able to find a card that suits your needs with a student discount interest rate in the 10-15% range.
While 10% may not seem like a whole lot, if you ever lose your job, have to quit or have some other unexpected event that affects your finances, the interest can build up very quickly. One way to partially prevent this is to purposely search for a lower interest rate first.