Why I Got An Additional Credit Card For My Teen

My daughter is a teenager and I only have a few more years before she leaves for college! There is so much I want to do with her and so many things I still need to teach her before she goes. A huge priority has been teaching her how to properly budget and creating responsible habits. She has helped me shop and look for the best prices and discounts. She has learned to save part of her money for college and part for fun. My daughter is a very fast learner and a very responsible young lady so I decided she was ready to learn about credit cards too. That’s why I’m excited to partner with American Express to help her establish financially responsible habits as an Additional Card Member.

This post was created in partnership with American Express. I look forward to sharing with you how adding Sierra as an Additional Card Member is helping me teach her about responsible spending habits.

Teaching Teens About Financial Responsibility

You don’t want your kids to be unprepared for that first day of college when there are booths set up giving out free shirts to anyone who fills out a credit card application. When I went to college, I knew what a credit card was and how it worked but I didn’t know anything about credit scores. I also didn’t have actual experience using a credit card. Plus, learning from hearing and learning from doing doesn’t always produce the same results. That is why I was so glad to be able to offer my daughter an Additional Card so she can become familiar with how credit cards actually work while she has me to help her. An American Express Additional Card is an important step in teaching her financial responsibility.

Additional Credit Card For Teens

Authorized User on Parent’s Card: Parents can add their child as an authorized user on their credit card. This allows the teen to use the card while the parent maintains control over the account. These cards often serve as educational tools to teach responsible spending habits.

Adding your teen as an Additional Card Member is a great tool but I had to have a big talk with my daughter before actually handing her Additional Card over. We checked out a book about managing money from the library and she read it and told me what she learned. I wanted her to understand she was getting the opportunity to practice her financial skills because I trust her and because I want her to learn more about finances. I wanted her to use this opportunity to learn more about credit, setting alerts and budgets, and the rewards that come with the card.

Building Credit

I used the opportunity to tell my daughter about credit scores and how they can effect important things later, like your interest rate when you buy a house. We also talked about how having a few credit cards and paying on time can build your credit. Bonus Tip: Adding a child who is 18 years old (or older) can help them begin to build their own credit.

Keeping Tabs on The Tab

We talked about the importance of tracking your expenses and seeing how they add up. American Express makes it easy to keep tabs on what your child purchases on their Additional Card. You can set spending alerts and spending budget. This helps you and your teen keep track of your teen’s spending and gives you peace of mind. I also love that charges for each American Express Additional Credit Card for teens are separated on your monthly statement for easy expense tracking. For added peace of mind, each Card has its own account number so if it’s lost or stolen, you only need to replace that Card.

It’s crucial to emphasize responsible credit card usage and payment practices to teens to instill good financial habits early on. Talk them about what the annual percentage rate is and how that works. Tell them if the card has an annual fee and what rewards it may provide. Young people need to know how to avoid credit card debt and create a positive credit history at the same time.

Benefits of adding Teens as Additional Card Members

I think that giving my daughter an Additional Card has made her realize she is old enough to begin learning more about finances. It is also empowering for her to know I trust her to behave responsibly. It is a great tool for teaching her financial responsibility in a hands on way. I love being able to set budgets and alerts. It allows me the freedom to give her the freedom to practice spending responsibly. I can see exactly how much she spends and what she spends it on. We can touch base on her spending so she can see how it adds up. It is also wonderfully freeing as I don’t have to worry about having cash on me to give her. I also don’t have to worry about her ever being somewhere without the money she needs.

Conclusion

Now she is always prepared for the unexpected. She loves knowing that I value, trust, and respect her enough to help her practice her financial skills. As an added bonus, we dig the extra cash back rewards from her Additional Card spending. Additional Cards can be an excellent tool for teaching teens to be financially responsible.

Do you remember your first experience with credit cards? Were there things you wish you had known? What will you be sure to teach your teens about credit cards before they leave the house? Learn more about how to add your teen to your account as an Additional Card Member here: https://amex.co/2M5sOaq

Related Posts:

DIY Car Emergency Kit – Always Be Prepared!

How To Encourage Responsibility For Kids

Best Summer Jobs For Teens