Credit cards can mislead even grown adults, and bring on years of debt and regret. They are still a necessary part of life, and crucial to establish credit. But they can come off looking like free money to a youngster. Experts and parents have reached no universal agreement as to when teens, or even college students, should handle their own plastic. Nevertheless, pre-paid credit or debit cards are both tools for showing kids how to budget, and for emphasizing the discipline it takes to pay off a credit card every month.
David R. Frazier/DanitaDelimont.com/Newscom/File
