Friday, July 12, 2013

Prepaid Credit Card Or Credit Card For College Students? - 5 Insights

For college students, getting access to your credit-card only got a bit more challenging. The credit change legislation that passed in 2009 and went into effect in 2010 has a provision that states that university students must have an adult co-sign their application with them. This implies no further running up credit card charges without their parents knowing about it.
And naturally, you can find other options besides credit cards, such as prepaid debit cards. Listed here is how they work: prepaid debit cards take the symbol of major credit cards like Master Card, American Express, Discover and Visa. Actually, from the outside, they appear to be a regular credit card. But, they actually work in a very different way.
With prepaid debit cards, the card is obtained with a balance already onto it. Instead of taking out a mini-loan every time you make a buy and paying interest on it [as with when you use a prepaid debit card, a credit card] you're generally only burning through the harmony already on the card. Once it goes out, you cannot use it anymore until you refill it.
But, which is better? Should you get prepaid debit card or perhaps a credit card to get a scholar? Here are 5 insights:
1. Regardless of the new law, college students are still getting credit cards:
Of class, some college students have discovered ways across the new law that limits their ability to get easy access to credit. For example, they can have graduate students or others co-sign their applications for them.
Meanwhile, several other college students remain able to persuade their parents to co-sign their applications, rendering regulations fairly useless in terms of the being able to qualify for a card. All this implies that their parents and students still need to face the question: are credit cards great for college students?
2. Credit cards still have their advantages:
A new Sallie Mae study concluded that the common graduating scholar bears $4,100 in high-interest credit debt. And, college students are also recognized to pay an excessive amount of money in fees as a result of late payments. This means these cards are all-bad, right? Not necessarily.
While many students just aren't financially advanced enough yet to responsibly use credit cards on an ongoing basis, having a credit card nearby can be wise to be properly used in emergency situations. After all, with a bank card, when the balance runs out, that's it. There is no protection net.
3. Prepaid cards may be a better option for managing day-to-day finances:
However, for managing monthly expenses including clothing, books, and food while in school, prepaid debit cards could be a more responsible way to go. All things considered, with one of these cards, a student could manage just how much they are prepared to spend every month. They are able to do this by only running up the card with all the budgeted amount, and no more.
4. Prepaid cards can be re-filled through direct deposit:
But, what are the results if the prepaid present card's balance goes to zero? Simple: the card could be re-filled via direct deposit. Which means that you'll also provide actual money backing the total amount on your card - unlike with all the other styles of card. And, with a prepaid gift card, there's no interest to cover, which could save university students thousands of dollars in interest payments versus when using a credit card.
5.

The right solution is probably a hybrid:
The ideal solution? Perhaps having both. One way to go is to apply for a credit card using the parent co-signing. The student and parent may consent to a certain amount that the student is allowed to spend with the card each month, but that amount has to be paid down. Achieving this can help the student build their credit score [which a prepaid card cannot help with]. But, for managing monthly bills reliably, the student can use the money card.
Consider these 5 observations for addressing the question: which kind of card is much better for college students?