Public Service Message #2 by Angie...

DON'T apply for credit cards for your children...

It is amazing how many credit card offers come in the mail these days. I just officially named my business and within 2 weeks I had received offers from 7-8 companies trying to get me to use their card. But the other day I was reminded of my favorite credit card offers - those that come for my little girls!! (One for Tayler arrived on Friday!) So far Jadyn hasn't gotten one, but the other three do, at least annually! Apparently signing your kids up for a "skymile account" is all that it takes. The first few that arrived when Tayler was young, surprised me... then I kindof got tired of getting them... but then I decided, "Hey if they keep sending them, I might as well take advantage of the 15,000 miles that they want to give her for signing up."... so I did!! I actually should have filled out the application and mailed it in, I think that it may have worked better that way, I would have put down that she was a student and made $0. Amazingly the credit card companies probably wouldn't care. Once when Shane and I were in college, the guys with clipboards accosted us on the quad and offered some type of a "water bottle" if we signed up for a card - we did - we both said we were students and made $0 a year - we got our "amazing" water bottles and a few weeks later we both received cards in the mail with credit lines of $7500!! (I notice now that the perks are greater than water bottles - shirts and beanies!! How is one to resist???) But instead of mailing it in I called. Of course I had no desire to really get the card - I just wondered what they would say. After giving her all the information necessary - I made it to the "final stages" (you know the part they tell you they are recording). At which point the teller asked me to verify her birthdate - I did... she said I must have got that wrong... I assured her that it was correct. Then she informed me that if I continued with this application I would be doing so fradualently because this was a minor - I calmly reminded her that my daughter had been offered this credit card and since she could barely speak (let alone write) I was acting in her behalf - and best interest in building her credit score while she was young. As may be expected she wasn't pleased - I asked her why these offers would be coming to a child this young and she had no explanation except to tell me to throw them out when they arrive. So... each year I do... but always with a smile on my face!!!