Your first credit card will help you with more than just making purchases.
Being ready for a credit card isn’t about age, according to Beverly Harzog, a credit card expert and consumer finance analyst for U.S. News and World Report. It’s about being prepared to use the card responsibly. To know whether you’re ready to use a credit card, Harzog says to look at your debit card spending. “If you understand that you have a specific amount of money in your account and you don’t go over that amount, you’re getting the concepts down about how to use plastic,” she says. On the other hand, if your card is getting declined or you’re being hit with overage charges from your bank, you probably need more practice.