As many of us take on this new role of ‘adulting’ and looking for homes, cars, and loans, we realize just how important it is to have a good credit score. Even though it’s convenient to have the ability to borrow money for a period of time, it is important to make sure we are not borrowing too much or missing our payments.
The concept of credit cards can often be confusing. Since there are hundreds of credit cards and credit services, it is important that you choose one that best fits your financial situation.
While credit cards can give us money to borrow, there are also many strings attached that all users should be aware of. When looking for a credit card, one should research the Annual Percentage Rate (APR), the fees, minimum repayment amount, and if there are any perks like loyalty points or cashback.
One of the best rated credit cards for college students is the Discover it Student Cash Back Card.
The credit card offers an easy application process, 5% cashback on certain purchases, a low minimum repayment amount, credit score alerts, and SSN monitoring. Discover also provides an app that can be downloaded on many smartphones and tablets that allows users to keep track of their spending, credit score, and payment dates.
For more information about what Discover offers with this card, click here.
My Experience
I received my Discover it Student Cash Back Card during my senior year of high school and continue to use it while in my senior year of college. My current credit score is currently a 760 and I have only used the card to purchase gas or holiday gifts before paying off my amount. I started with a $1,000 credit line and Discover has since increased it to $1,600 for having a great streak of payments. Once I continue to use the card and keep a great streak of payments, my credit line will increase and I can also choose to get a new credit card once I have a full-time job after graduation. Four of my friends have also gotten the card in order to increase their credit score and plan on keeping it until they graduate from their universities and can start to make more smart financial decisions.
Overall, I highly recommend that every student apply for one of these cards and begin the process of building their credit. It’s important to have self control when it comes to spending money, but as long as you are smart and manage your money wisely, everything will be okay. Building your credit score is just one of the many “adulting” actions that we must take as we continue to age and create the lives that we want.