College is an exciting time in life. Amid all the fun, college is also the time you learn to live an independent life. You assume a lot of obligations and financial responsibility as a student. Therefore, college is an ideal time to establish and build your consumer credit profile. In doing so, student credit cards play an important role. Let’s understand the ups and downs of student credit cards to ensure you don’t acquire undue consumer debt.
Avoid debt by using student credit cards wisely.
Student Credit Cards – Ups & Downs
First and foremost, college is your foundation for entering future employment and building your life. Therefore, building a sound financial history can begin in college. Student credit cards are a great way to get a head start on this journey.
These types of credit cards are easy to obtain as long as you have the basic prerequisites. The other good thing is that student credit cards report to all the major credit bureaus.
With lower to no annual fees, these are affordable with the restricted income during your college years. All these benefits build up a platform for you to handle credit responsibly. With the inevitable efforts on student loan debt relief, you want to make sure you are not signing up for undue credit card debt.
In addition to the above, some cards offer special perks. These may include statement credit for good grades or waiver for your first late payment fee. However, this is not an excuse to be irresponsible about paying your debt on time.
The Downside of Student Credit Cards
As with any other credit cards, interest fees are a downside to these as well. The other negative is mainly associated with how you handle your credit cards. It is important that you are aware of the fact that a credit card is not a free pass to buy what you want. It is a financial obligation and you are responsible for your debt.
So tracking your transactions, monitoring your payments, and reminding yourself to stay current on your card are some ways you can minimize the risk of accumulating too much debt.
If you’re struggling to pay off debt, ACCC can help. Schedule a free credit counseling session with us today.
