What are the pros and cons of having a credit card as a young person?
Why is it unwise to charge items such as gasoline and food to a credit card? The room was silent until Razja Goodman, 15, piped up with a question of her own: “Is it bad to have a lot of credit cards?” Owen-Cooper made two columns on the board, one for debit card purchases and another for credit card purchases. She tallied expenses for both, and students worked to figure out exactly how much one purchase on a credit card could end up costing them if they didn’t pay it off right away. Survival skills At David Douglas High School in east Portland, every student is required to take a two-part personal finance and career exploration course. “There are so many important concepts in math, English,” says Principal John Bier. “But they also need practical knowledge to survive as a citizen as well.” Teacher Cameron Cross says the instruction can be particularly helpful for students at the school, where about 70 percent receive free or reduced-price lunches. “Some of these students may go out an
