Money! with Stacy Johnson

Hammers, chain saws, axes: all useful tools when used properly, and potentially dangerous as hell in untrained hands.

Credit cards are the same: Potentially a useful tool, but when used recklessly, the results can be devastating.

When I was in college back in the 1970s, there were no credit cards on campus. Why? Because you to get a credit card, you needed to be creditworthy. In other words, you had to have a job. Back then, credit was a privilege, not a right. Fast-forward to present day America, however, and banks are falling all over themselves to put plastic in the hands of anyone who can fog a mirror, beginning with unemployed college students.

The banks are anxious to offer credit to the masses at the earliest possible age for one reason: because it's hugely profitable.

In this week's "Money" podcast, we're going to explore the seamy underbelly of credit and talk about some "secrets" about plastic that banks would prefer that you not know. When we're done, you're going to be a better borrower.

Want more information? Check out these resources:

• Beware These 5 Sneaky Credit Card Company Tricks
• Credit card search tool
• Money Made Simple: (Money Talks Course)
•  Nerdwallet: Credit Card Secrets You've Never Known—But Should
•  Huffington Post: 5 Credit Card Secrets the Banks Don't Want You to Know
•  Wisebread: The Dirty Secrets of Credit Cards
•  Credit Karma: 6 little-known credit card tips that could help your credit health

Hosts:

• MoneyTalksNews
• MirandaMarquit.com

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