Establishing Credit Can Be Easier While In College

Credit card companies love college students and they often make applications readily available on most campuses. The issuers know that if they can sign up students now, they will have customers who spend money for a long time. Tens of thousands of students take them up on the offer each year, and they spend millions of dollars annually. The typical college undergraduate owes more than three thousand dollars at graduation.

That's a scary prospect, especially for anyone who is attending school on a limited income. No one wants to leave school with more debt than necessary, so should the average student avoid credit while in college? Not at all. In fact, that's a great time to start building a credit score, provided that you don't run up a bunch of debt in the process. The key is responsible spending and prompt payment. Apply for a card, and when you receive it, use it once or twice a month for small purchases. When the bill comes, pay it right away and pay it in full. This will help you establish a record of use and prompt payment.

These things add up, and when you graduate, you'll already have a credit score that will come in handy when you apply for loans for larger things, such as auto loans. The secret is to make sure that you only spend what you can afford to spend. A good rule of thumb is not to use the credit card to buy anything that you wouldn't be able to buy with cash. That way, you aren't spending more than you can afford. It really doesn't matter what you buy; a pizza once a month will help. Just make sure that when the bill comes, you pay it promptly. Building credit while in school is a great idea, provided that you are building healthy credit. The credit card companies are willing to issue the cards to you, but whether or not you use them to establish good spending habits or bad spending habits is up to you.

Charles Essmeier is the owner of Retro Marketing , a firm devoted to informational Websites, including MendYourDebt.com, a site about debt consolidation, credit counseling, payday loans and personal bankruptcy.

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