It’s great when parents are willing to help the future of their children, but make sure you understand all the implications before you help your children develop credit.

A credit card is a great way to build credit to get started as a teenager or a young adult, and many people their first credit card of their parents. Before you give your child a credit card when they head to the mall, whether it contributes (or poorly) their credit future.

Authorized users vs co-applicants

Often a first introduction to credit teenager becomes an authorized user on credit card of a parent. It is an easy way to get a credit card but it is usually not the best way. In almost all cases, an authorized user has no positive credit to build their own, but if the primary cardholder is in default, may be given to the credit policy of the authorized user of the report. In other words, your child will not benefit from cheap credit, but you may incur if you fall into hard times.

Setting up your child on your account as a co-applicant may have more harmful effects. If your credit card company needs a signature of the child, they are probably adding the child as co-plaintiff. Think long hard before taking this step. As a co-applicant means they are also responsible for the debts that you enter. If your child an authorized user and you run up 25,000 in debt you can not pay, your child may have a terrible stain on his credit. However, if you put your child as a co-applicant, the credit card company they expect the money to repay, and even her in the yard!

Make sure that you look at all factors. Even if your credit is great and you have no intention of shelving a debt, there is a possibility that a lost job, medical expenses, or other disaster, your situation changes? If there is virtually no chance of that happening to your child would be a good co-applicant or an authorized user. But even if you do not hurt your child credit will not help much. The best course of action is a card on behalf of the child associated with his social security number only. If you already think about adding your child to one of your cards, contact your credit card company and ask to open a separate account name instead of your child. Since you have an open account with the company, and bringing them additional business, you’ll generally get a better rate for your child that he or she can get on its own.

Why start early at all?

Even if he or she has opened a credit card to start with a high rate, it will still help your child’s long-term credit, as long as you teach him to act responsibly. The best way to help them build a credit card although they must be single use, to pay her cell phone bill or buy gas, and paying it every month. If your child an early start on credit to get a huge advantage over their peers. If you have to show how their new card responsibly address the credit card company reward in the future with higher credit lines and lower rates so that their credit card to use more more “adult” things, like furniture for their first apartment or holiday post-graduation.

Do not let the most common errors such as adding your child as an authorized user or a co-plaintiff to damage his credit future. Imagine what a shock it would be if she tried to buy a car or a credit check to get an apartment, and they discover that the credit card she had made payments for years, not on his report credit. And then, imagine that you receive the call soon after applying for a loan! Credit your children, a negative financial consequences for you too, so start early! Protect yourself.