Remember: Your Child Is Not Too Big To Fail
The average college grad leaves campus with $4,100 in credit card debt, according to student-loan giant Sallie Mae. That's a lot to pay back on a starting salary. The inclination of many parents would be to bail out their kids. But that's not necessarily the smart thing to do, especially if your child also has student loans that need attending. You and your child will be better off dealing with the student loans first. Those can leave a much larger black dot on a credit history. Besides, once you are delinquent, credit card companies are usually willing to strike a deal at less than full payoff, especially if you present a reasonable repayment plan to the lender. What's more, paying off your child's credit card bill might just send the wrong message — that they can go ahead and start charging purchases again. Leaving them saddled with this debt might encourage them to practice better money habits, which will help them for a lifetime.