Teaching Teens About Credit Cards
Start with authorized-user status
The earliest move is adding your teen as an authorized user on an old, low-balance, on-time card (age minimums vary by issuer). Your account positive history can appear on their report, giving them a credit head start years before they could qualify alone, and you keep control of the actual spending.
Their own first card
Once they turn 18 and have some income, a student card or a secured card lets them build credit in their own name. Start with a low limit, no annual fee, and a card that reports to all three bureaus. Keep it simple, one card used for small, regular purchases.
Teach the habits that matter
The cards are secondary to the habits. Drill the essentials: pay the statement in full every month so interest never starts, keep utilization low, and never spend money you do not have. Let them see a statement and walk through it. Good habits set in the teens compound into excellent credit by their twenties. See how to build credit.
Frequently asked questions
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