September 5, 2012 THE VILLADOM TIMES I & II • Page 13 American college students are swimming in a sea of credit card debt. Despite the CARD Act of 2009, which tightened laws on credit card companies that were doling out credit cards like candy to every college student on campus, a recent study shows that 70 percent of college students have credit cards. More than 90 percent of those students are carrying a monthly balance. Between 2004 and 2009, the average student credit card debt jumped from $946 to more than $4,100. While the law now requires anyone under age 21 to have a co-signer on a credit card application unless they can show proof of adequate income, students need to be smart about credit, according to personal financial planning experts at the New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants. The on-campus credit card offers are tempting, and it may seem like free money, but they can spell disaster. Used correctly, credit cards can help build a solid credit report. Used incorrectly, credit cards can leave students with a financial burden that can last long after graduation. The NJSCPA recommends the following tips. Read the fine print. Get out the magnifying glass and read all the little words at the bottom of the credit card application before signing anything. Understand the APR. The fine print includes the card’s APR (annual percent Help college students build credit and avoid debt rate of interest) that will be charged on all, or a portion of, the credit card balance if the full amount is not paid on or before the due date. Cardholders want the lowest interest rate available just in case there is ever a need to carry a balance. The average rate is currently hovering just under 15 percent, but there may be lower offers. Shop around. Beware of the fees. Credit card companies may or may not charge a fee simply for having their credit card in your wallet each year. You may be signing up for a card with an annual fee of $50, $75, or more. Shop around for the best deal. Rewards cards offering airline miles or cash back can be useful and help your money work for you, but these cards may also have more expensive yearly fees. Make sure the reward is worth it. Don’t carry a balance. Pay your balance off when your statement arrives each month. Only paying the minimum each month can be a recipe for financial disaster. Know your limits. A higher credit limit may help your credit score over time, but if you are concerned about your spending habits, request a lower limit for now. You can ask to have the limit raised in the future. Understand the grace period. The Credit CARD Act of 2009 requires credit card issuers to offer at least a 21-day grace period, which is the time during which you are allowed to pay your credit card bill without having to pay interest. The grace period usually applies only to new purchases. Most credit cards do not give a grace period for cash advances and balance transfers. Pay on time. Get your payment in by the due date or you will have to pay late fees on top of interest charges. Don’t get carried away. Once you are approved for your new credit card, offers are going to start rolling in for even more credit cards. These cards may have low introductory interest rates and fees that skyrocket down the road. Don’t be tempted. Too many credit cards can adversely affect your credit rating. Set limits. Decide how much you can afford to pay each month and stick to that as your spending budget. Plan to pay your credit card balance in full each month. Don’t let debt pile up. If you find yourself getting in over your head and your monthly balance growing instead of shrinking, get it under control right away. Develop a plan to pay off the balance off, and stop spending until you do. “Choosing and using a credit card is something parents and students should sit down and discuss,” said Veronica Sullivan, CPA, a member of the NJSCPA Financial Literacy Committee. “Work together to choose a card, set spending limits, and understand the importance of good credit. Decisions college students make will have a profound effect on their financial success far into the future.” Your CPA can help. As an independent financial advisor, a CPA can understand different options available to you. NJSCPA offers a free, online Find-A-CPA service at findacpa.org. For more information about various personal financial matters, visit the NJSCPA’s public service website at MoneyMattersNJ. com. While visiting, you can subscribe to Your Money Matters, the NJSCPA’s free, monthly e-mail newsletter to receive personal financial planning advice.