Comments on: Credit Cards Target College Students on Campus

By: Detaching From Material Possessions a Sign of Emotional and Financial Maturity | Frugal Dad

Mon, 25 May 2009 14:06:26 +0000

[...] new, shiny credit card with a whopping $500 credit limit compliments of discover card (trading a credit card application for a t-shirt was my first really dumb move). At the time, Playstations were going for about $199, plus games, [...]

By: Credit Cards Are Excellent Financial Tools (Ask Mr Credit Card’s Blog)

Credit Cards Are Excellent Financial Tools (Ask Mr Credit Card’s Blog) — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 15:35:13 +0000

[...] Dad – We’ve Read Your Articles on How to Get Out of Credit Card Debt, and Stay Out, and Credit Cards Target College Students on Campus, but what do you think about regularly using credit cards as a financial [...]

By: How to Be a Frugal College Student | Frugal Dad

How to Be a Frugal College Student | Frugal Dad — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 12:44:32 +0000

[...] to football fans, the loudest group you will find on your campus may be those soliciting credit card applications. If I should ever be in charge of a school one day (not likely) one of the first things I would do [...]

By: Bill

Bill — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 21:57:55 +0000

Another great post. Consider submitting it to my Kids and Money blog carnival. This is the type of blog entry I want ALL kids to read.

Thanks again!

By: Steward

Steward — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 18:07:15 +0000

I don’t remember anybody hawking credit cards to me at college events, but I do remember getting a deluge of credit card offers through the mail. The credit limits were around $500 and they were special “Student” cards. I signed up for every single offer (haha, yeah right – I never signed up for any, but what a waste of paper and mail).

By: guinness416

guinness416 — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 17:32:27 +0000

It’s not just students. Ever see the line at a baseball stadium for NY Mets credit cards etc? People love swag, as anyone who’s ever had to man any sort of booth can attest.

When I was at college at home in Ireland it was borderline impossible to get a credit card, despite the fact that there’s no tuition fees over there. I often wonder how some of us might have turned out if the US norm existed over there.

By: Finally Frugal

Finally Frugal — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 16:36:50 +0000

I work on a college campus, and often see the tables and flyers enticing students to open a credit card. The promotional materials include photos of computers, palm trees and beaches (bringing to mind spring break), and attractive co-eds living large. I also got my first credit card in college, and came away with more debt than I could handle by the time I graduated. More colleges are beginning to restrict access to campus by credit card marketers. . . and that’s a good thing.

However, I tend to agree with the statement by writer’s coin; we do need to teach our kids responsibility and common sense financial skills. At some point, people need to make their own choices (including mistakes). No one was holding a gun to my head when I signed up for my credit card, and I certainly wasn’t under duress when I used it to study abroad, buy clothes, or live beyond my means in a multitude of other ways.

By: cory huff

cory huff — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 16:22:45 +0000

I asked one of the guys giving away CC apps what kind of money they were making. He told me he got $8 per app, whether they were approved or not (most are approved)! These guys’ll do anything to make sure you sign up.

It’s pretty sheisty, but the signers definitely have to take their own responsibility for their spending. What a mess!

By: Grey

Grey — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 14:52:57 +0000

My one and only credit card debt is 10 years old, from when I signed that first application at a table in UNC-Chapel Hill’s quad. *sigh* Ah, if I knew then what I know now. The debt started when my husband lost his job during that time, and I ended up paying two month’s rent on that card. The debt climbed from under $1000 to over $3800 in time, when I couldn’t make regular payments.

Of course, I was incredibly naive and stupid then. I wish I’d known more about how credit worked, period.

By: ben @ Trees Full of Money

ben @ Trees Full of Money — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 14:39:47 +0000

This is too funny! I recently wrote about my own experiences about getting my first credit card. Citibank had set up shop in my college cafeteria.

Sold my soul for a t-shirt and a CD filled with popular (at the time) alternative rock songs!

You can read the full account on my blog

http://www.treesfullofmoney.com/2008/04/credit-card-companies-peddling-on-my.html