BeWare of Student Credit Card Offers
No matter where you go in today’s society, it seems as though people are trying to get you to sign up for a credit card or a student credit card. When you turn on the television, there are many advertisements promising all kinds of incentives, telling you why their student credit card is better than all the others out there.
When you turn on the Internet, it is the same story. The good thing about the Internet, though, is the fact that you are able to read all the fine print that the student credit card companies so conveniently rush through in the commercials on the TV.
If you take your family to the mall, there are credit card people there as well. In fact, most of them will give you something right there on the spot just for filling out a student credit card application. It is usually a T-shirt-shirt, something to do with the location they are using to solicit your business.
In my opinion, it becomes really scary when they go to college campuses and use their promises and free gifts to tempt the college students into signing up for one of their student credit cards. It is possible that the student has had a talk with their parents. It is even more possible that they already have a student credit card. However, the stuff is free, so they go ahead and fill out an application and get their free stuff. There are probably numerous students out there that have many T-shirts from Student Credit Card Companies. They will fill it out for the free stuff.
Should you give into the pressure that student credit card companies are putting on you to sign up for a credit card? Should you get a student credit card to establish credit?
Well, the truth is, you can establish credit without a student credit card, but it can be a good thing to have in case of emergencies. If you are a college student with a college student loan, you already have established some credit. Anytime you take out a loan it will affects your credit. Therefore, you have established a credit history without even realizing it!
One of the dangers of a student credit card is that it is so easy to just pull them out to use for small things instead of just paying cash. The problem is that if you do not pay your bill right away, that three dollar mocha latte ends up costing over twenty dollars when you add in the interest and any late fees that could apply.
Student Credit cards are a good thing to have for emergencies like if your car breaks down, or a flat tire, but be careful when you use them for things that you could have just paid cash for. That latte may wind up costing you more than you ever expected someday.
Keeping in mind student credit cards are a good thing for any kind of emergency that will crop up, it could also do the opposite and get you into trouble. Just be smart about your financial and spending habits. All will be good.
Student credit cards.com @ June 24, 2008