Top Tips for College Credit Cards
How students can keep their credit in check
1. Choose a credit card carefully
Don't just choose a credit card because of a free tee-shirt or some other offer. Make sure you pay attention to the terms and fees on different cards and decide which is best for you.
2. Don't cosign for friends
If you cosign for a friend and they end up accumulating debt or missing payments, your credit score will take a dive along with theirs. If they refuse to pay, you will be liable for any charges they have made.
3. limit your open cards
One credit card is more than enough for a college student. Each new line of credit you open will drop your credit score. There is no need to have multiple cards so early in life.
4. Stay under your credit limit
Going over a credit limit can bring extra fees. Make sure you stay well below the limit in order to avoid these fees. Sometimes, consumers are trapped when they charge things near the end of the cycle. They think they are charging below the limit, but they are in fact accumulating more and more fees.
5. Pay off balance each month
Make sure you never carry a balance on your credit cards. If you find yourself accumulating a balance, you probably cannot afford a credit card.
Works Cited
Gersen, Emily Starbuck, and Jeremy M. Simon. "10 Ways Students Can Build Good Credit."
CreditCards.com. CreditCards.com, n.d. Web. 28 Sept. 2015.
About.com, n.d. Web. 28 Sept. 2015.