| Considering the years you spent in school and the | | | | of paying credit card bills on time, and no one has |
| number of courses you were required to take, | | | | ever told them that they should stay within 30% |
| isn't it strange that money management and | | | | of their credit limit. |
| credit issues were probably never mentioned? | | | | The result, many young people are going out into |
| Even accounting classes teach kids how to add up | | | | the world, trying to purchase homes or even rent |
| the numbers and how to tell a debit from a | | | | apartments, and having a terrible time of it. Their |
| credit, but fail to mention a thing about budgeting, | | | | credit scores are in the basement, and many of |
| calculating the overall cost of an item when | | | | them don't even understand why. |
| interest is added on, and the high cost of over | | | | One young man, upon being told that he couldn't |
| spending. | | | | rent a house because his credit was shot, said |
| Instead, kids barely out of high school are offered | | | | "But I'm young. I have to have fun." He simply |
| credit cards and encouraged to spend and spend | | | | couldn't understand why the rental agent was |
| some more. | | | | discriminating against him. |
| I think every elementary school should offer a | | | | Their schools - and their parents - failed to teach |
| course on budgeting geared to the age of the | | | | them that a good credit rating will make their lives |
| children. Then every Junior High School should do it | | | | much easier. Lenders will look favorably at them, |
| again, and every High School should require at the | | | | offering lower interest rates, lower minimum |
| very least a semester with a class called "Money | | | | payments, less paperwork, and more borrowing |
| Management." | | | | options. |
| Kids don't realize the importance of a balanced | | | | If schools and parents taught the value of |
| checkbook - so don't learn to keep track. Thus | | | | sacrificing just a little in the interest of saving and |
| they're often stuck paying huge overdraft fees. I | | | | the value of a stellar financial reputation, young |
| remember one young woman who came in to a | | | | people would have a far easier time getting |
| store where I worked. Over 2 days she wrote 3 | | | | started in life. |
| checks - the total of which came to just over | | | | But it's never too late to start. Check your credit |
| $10. But they all bounced, costing her an additional | | | | score today, and if you find you've gotten off |
| $29 each - $87 dollars down the drain for lack of | | | | track, start today to build your financial reputation |
| record keeping. | | | | and your credit score. |
| Those same kids fail to recognize the importance | | | | |