Credit for Students and Young Adults: Starting Smart

Credit habits formed in your late teens and twenties can follow you for decades. The goal for students is simple: start small, stay in control.

You usually need to be the age of majority (18 or 19 depending on the province) to hold your own credit card. Before that, you can learn by being an authorized user on a parent's card, if the parent pays on time and the issuer reports it.