Students - Start Fixing Your Career Credit


by Stephen Sikes - Date: 2008-09-24 - Word Count: 463 Share This!

College is a time of fun, learning and credit crisis. This is the first time many people are given a credit card. The credit card industry is always on college campuses offering students credit cards with all sorts of perks. There's nothing wrong with this. After all, credit cards can be a wonderful way to finance things you can't pay for with cash, and they can offer a lot of benefits. The problem is many college students don't use them responsibly.

The best student credit cards will offer students a chance to start a credit history and prepare them for their years to come, after college. If used responsibly, these cards can build a positive credit history that students can use to finance homes, cars and the other necessities in life once they have graduated.

Unfortunately, many students don't act responsibly when they first get credit cards. They will go shopping and suddenly realize they don't have the funds to pay for what they bought. Either that or they will completely ignore the statement when it comes in and pay the bills late. All of these are ways to mess up your credit report for years to come.

Find Your Credit Score

Credit scores are numbers given to people on a rating scale of 300-900 to say whether or not they are good credit risks. The higher the number, the better. You should check with the reporting companies including Equifax, Experian and TransUnion to know what is on your credit report and find out what your credit score is.

Fixing Bad Credit

If you find you have already done some damage to your credit score, now is the time to fix it. There are two things you can do to move it back in the right direction.

The first is to lower your debt. Every time you miss a payment, it is essentially telling the credit card company you are not responsible enough to meet your obligations. They report this to the credit agencies and it will show up as a ding on your credit report, each time a payment is missed or late.

The second thing you need to do is decrease your debt. You don't want a cloud of debt hang over your head. Just one little mess up and you may be behind in payments. Instead, get your debt under control so you know you can handle the payments.

Don't Fear the Card

Remember, your student credit card is not your enemy. Some of the best student credit cards out there can even be your friends, helping you save money or even get cash back on your purchases, which is more money to spend in the long run. Just remember to treat them responsibly and they will help you pave the way to a positive credit future.


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Stephen Sikes is the owner of the credit card comparison site
www.CreditCardWave.com
Visit the site to read articles and reviews on the best ways to utilize credit cards.
You can compare and apply online for top personal and business credit cards.

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