How much do you really know about credit      
The word "free" will make most people sit up and pay attention, and college students are certainly no exception. So when the credit card companies make their appearance on campus and handout college apparel, tickets and other hard-to-resist items free-of-charge, students walk away with an armful of goodies in one hand and a stack of credit cards in the other. But what many undergrads don't know is that as the inventory of free stuff is going up; their credit scores are quickly plummeting.
 
Are 'Student' Credit Cards Right for You      
Student credit cards are big business. Nellie Mae reported that 76 percent of undergraduates in 2004 began the school year with credit cards, representing billions of dollars in annual spending power. Credit card companies court this profitable undergraduate market with student-specific cards, which are set apart not only by marketing techniques, but also by their credit terms and benefits.
 
How to Avoid Credit Card Traps      
You must have heard this a million times: "Get yourself a credit card while you're in college and build yourself a solid credit history for a good future." Sounds like a foolproof plan, doesn't it? However, with the recent hike in penalty rates and the increase of monthly minimum payments by certain creditors, having a credit card could do you more harm than good. "Credit cards can be perfectly useful if you use them responsibly," believes David Rosenfeld, program director for the student-directed Public Interest Research Group, a consumer-advocacy organization. "But they can be a disaster if they're not."
 
Consequences of Credit      
Understanding how to manage money, credit and debt is, in my opinion, one of the most important and lasting types of education you can get, and yet we're generally not taught these lessons in school, college, church or even at home. This leaves many of us to learn the hard way, about what's needed to become "responsible" with money. Following are a few tips, tools and techniques that'll support you in saving more, spending less, paying off your debt and becoming financially savvy.
 
Credit Card Crisis      
Ramen Noodles: A cheap meal, best served hot, dusted with seasoning and cooked for one minute. Stir and serve. It isn't a dish that is easily botched -- fine gourmet dining at a reasonable price. The only problem -- pouring the seasoning in before cooking is a terrible mistake. Some college students have even more difficulty getting the recipe right in their finances. Some can't manage the financial responsibilities needed to pay for a college education. Despite generous increases in financial aid allotments, an education requires more planning than it did in the past. Direct financial aid is usually enhanced by money that students earn or borrow.
 
A Survival Guide for College Students      
College is the last carefree step before real life begins. Ideally, students should fall asleep each night thinking only of the English exam tomorrow morning. They should still be living in a world where although they can't afford much, at least they're not yet worried about paying a mortgage, most forms of insurance, utility bills, or the college loan allowing them to get an education.
 
What Could It Mean to Your Bottom Line      
Credit card companies have plenty of ways to maximize the amount of interest we pay - after all, it's how they make money. If you pay a credit card bill late, or not at all, the creditor generally responds by raising your interest rate and imposing fees to that account. But did you know that a rule called universal default allows creditors to go even further than that? Universal default is a clause, generally disclosed in a credit card account agreement, which states that if you default (meaning you pay late or not at all) on that credit card or to any other lender, the interest rates on any of your credit cards subject to universal default could be raised.
 
Consequences of Credit      
As I mentioned in Part 1 of the series, it wasn't my intention to allow my credit cards to get so out of control. But when it happened the consequences were far more damaging that just bad credit. Everyone makes mistakes and most people learn from them. The painful part of making a big mistake is often not in the “original sin� but the ripple effect that comes along with it.
 
A Student's Guide to Credit Cards      
According to Nellie Mae, 81 percent of college freshman have at least one credit card. And for good reason. Credit cards enable online purchases - from textbooks to concert tickets, make it possible to rent a car, and help with medical emergencies or vehicle breakdowns. Used wisely, credit cards can be helpful throughout college, and can assist you in the development of financial management skills.
 
Consequences of Credit      
In her "Consequences of Credit" series Sanyika will address the pros and cons of credit; how having bad credit kept her from getting the job she wanted(and was qualified for), how to understand credit card offers, and ways to improve your credit score.
 
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