Teen credit cards are sweeping the nation as one of the most convenient ways to teach your teen financial responsibility.
We have scoured the net to give both parents and teens a current and up-to-date resource for finding the prepaid teen credit cards or teen debit card that is the best fit for their individual needs.
Things are very different now from when you were a teen.
Can you remember the last time you paid cash for an item? When did you last write a check in a store? Even television commercials advertise the convenience of using credit cards to pay for purchases and your teen needs to understand how to use these cards as well as be responsible with their own finances in order to be financially healthy adults.
As a parent, you may have concerns about giving your child a teen credit card or prepaid debit card and letting them run free.
Most of these programs have log in capabilities so not only can the teen credit cards be refilled with the ease of an online transaction, the parent or guardian can also log in and see where the card has been used whether your teen has made purchases online or off.
Another great use for teen credit cards is if your child is going on a field trip or will otherwise be traveling.
It's a bad idea to send cash and checks are almost impossible for your teen to use in other cities.
Travelers Checks were the previous solution, but it's much easier to just load money onto your teen 's credit card and let them have the ease of knowing they have money to spend and they don't have to worry about losing cash.
Instead of giving your teen an allowance, consider giving them a teen credit card and loading the money directly on there every week.
It's easy to get in the habit of spending cash and having nothing to show for it, show your teen the way to be financially responsible and even save their money on their cards for things they really want.
An added plus to this method is that the parent has absolute control over their child's spending.
If at any time you need to suspend your child's card, most of the card issuers have a web portal where you can simply log in and render the card inactive until you deem ready to re-activate it.
Another good point is that the card is prepaid so there's no getting overdrawn or overspending.
Whatever amount you choose to load on the card is the credit limit.
Your teen needs to know how to use credit wisely and as a parent, it's your job to teach them that lesson.
Using a prepaid debit credit card is a great way to getting your child on the road to understanding how to handle their finances in a mature and responsible way.