GazetteNET Intern Jon Reske, vice president of UMass Five College Federal Credit Union, gives credit advice to students. According to credit card companies, card usage is continually on the rise among not only college students, but Americans in general, as is credit card debt with younger users. Now over 80 percent of households in the United States use credit cards - including 475 million Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express cards. At the dawn of the 21st century, more and more Americans are looking toward plastic as their first means of purchasing.
Plastic pays for everything from a quick breakfast to a new car.
This is a trend that begins in college, where often students find themselves charging more than they can afford to pay. College students rank high in charging more than they will pay back. According to Jon Reske, vice president of marketing at University of Massachusetts Five College Federal Credit Union, today's average college student owns five credit cards. The biggest concern with student credit is with the graduating class. In attempts to reverse this tendency, many advise students against having any cards.