9 credit lessons for college students
Credit smarts and financial literacy aren’t required courses in college, but young adults should learn those topics on their own, credit and financial experts say, and preferably, not through trial and error.
According to a September 2016 U.S. Bank survey, 54 percent of college student respondents said they have never checked their credit scores.
Many of those surveyed also held credit misconceptions. For example, 44 percent said that checks and debit cards help build credit (they don’t), and 22 percent said once a delinquent account is paid off, it is removed from a credit report (it won’t be, for seven years).
“It’s all too common that we’re not formally discussing credit and talking about what it is with young people,” says U.S. Bank’s Robyn Gilson, coach for financial education and vice president of customer experience.
Too often, college students must school themselves on credit and get up to speed on how it can affect their futures.
Here are nine quick credit mini-courses that students should master:
