Image source: Getty Images

图片来源:Getty Images

As a parent, you want to set your kids up for success. And one of the best ways you can set them up for financial success is to help them with their credit.

作为家长，你想要为孩子的成功做好准备。帮助他们获得财务成功的最好方法之一就是帮助他们提高信用。

Most young adults don't know a ton about credit -- only that this mysterious credit score seems to keep getting in their way. Want to rent your first apartment? Your credit score isn't good enough yet, you'll need a cosigner. Applying for a loan or credit card? Same answer. You feel like you constantly need other people to vouch for you, all because you haven't had the opportunity to prove you're creditworthy.

大多数年轻人对信用知之甚少——只知道这种神秘的信用评分似乎一直阻碍着他们。想租你的第一套公寓吗?你的信用评分还不够好，你需要一个共同签名者。申请贷款或信用卡?同样的回答。你觉得你总是需要别人为你担保，这一切都是因为你没有机会证明自己的信誉。

As a parent, if you introduce your kids to credit when they're young, they'll have a valuable head start. They'll build credit earlier, understand how credit cards work, and be less likely to rack up costly credit card debt. Here's what you can do to help.1. Set them up as authorized users

作为父母，如果你在你的孩子还小的时候就向他们介绍信用，他们会有一个宝贵的起步。他们会更早建立信用，了解信用卡的运作方式，不太可能背负昂贵的信用卡债务。以下是你能做的帮助。将它们设置为授权用户

You'll put your kids on the fast track to good credit by making them authorized users on your credit card. If you do this, your credit card activity will go on their credit file as if it was their own. They'll benefit from the length of time you've had the card and every on-time payment you make.

让你的孩子成为你信用卡的授权用户，你会让他们快速获得良好的信用。如果你这样做了，你的信用卡活动将被记录在他们的信用档案中，就像它是他们自己的一样。他们将受益于你使用信用卡的时间和你每次的按时付款。

You can do this for your kids at any age. In fact, one writer even made her 1-year-old an authorized user so he would have a strong credit history by the time he turns 18.

任何年龄的孩子都可以这样做。事实上，一个作家甚至让她1岁的时候成为授权用户，这样他在18岁的时候就会有很好的信用记录。

When you make your child an authorized user, you'll receive a credit card with their name on it that's tied to your account. You may decide to give them the card once they're ready, but there's no rush. Their credit will benefit whether they use the card or not.2. Teach them how credit scores work

当你让你的孩子成为一个授权用户时，你会收到一张与你的账户绑定的带有他们名字的信用卡。一旦他们准备好了，你可以决定给他们卡片，但不用着急。无论他们是否使用这张卡，他们的信用都会受益。教他们信用评分是如何工作的

Credit scores are undoubtedly a confusing subject that many people don’t entirely understand. Your kids will benefit if you can pass on at least a basic knowledge of credit scores.

信用评分无疑是一个令人困惑的课题，许多人并没有完全理解。如果你至少能传授一些信用评分的基本知识，你的孩子将会受益。

Most kids' teenage years are a good time to start learning about credit scores. You'll probably want to keep this simple, at least to start. Here are the key things to go over when you teach your kids about credit scores:A credit score is a measure of your creditworthiness, or how likely you are to pay bills on time.

大多数孩子的青少年时期是开始学习信用评分的好时机。你可能想要保持这个简单，至少在开始的时候。当你教你的孩子信用评分的时候，这里有一些关键的事情要考虑:信用评分是衡量你的信用价值，或者你有多可能按时支付账单。

Your credit score is based on several factors, and the most important is your payment history. If you're late paying your bills, it can do quite a bit of damage to your credit.

你的信用评分是基于几个因素，其中最重要的是你的支付历史。如果你迟付账单，会对你的信用造成相当大的损害。

Your credit score doesn’t just determine if you'll be approved for credit cards and loans. It also affects your life in other ways. For example, bad credit means you may need to pay a deposit to get your own cell phone plan, it can lead to higher car insurance rates in most states, and it makes it harder to get approved to rent an apartment.

你的信用评分不仅仅决定了你是否会被批准使用信用卡和贷款。它还会在其他方面影响你的生活。例如，不良信用意味着你可能需要付押金才能获得自己的手机套餐，它可能会导致在大多数州更高的汽车保险费率，它会让你更难获得租房许可。

If you're still wrapping your head around how credit scores work yourself, you may want to review our credit score guide to learn more.3. Work with them to develop good financial habits

如果你还在纠结信用评分是如何工作的，你可能想要回顾我们的信用评分指南来了解更多。和他们一起培养良好的理财习惯

Your kids' financial habits will play the biggest role in how they build credit. The two most important credit-building habits are to always pay bills on time (especially your credit card bill) and not use too much of your credit limit. To clarify how much of your credit is okay to use, it's best to keep your balance to 20% or less of your card's credit limit.

孩子的理财习惯将在他们如何建立信用方面发挥最大的作用。两个最重要的建立信用的习惯是总是按时支付账单(尤其是你的信用卡账单)和不要过多使用你的信用额度。为了明确你的信用卡额度，最好将余额控制在信用卡额度的20%或更少。

You can explain this to your kids, but for the message to stick, they need to develop these habits themselves. This is another reason why it's good to set your kids up as authorized users. You can let them start using their authorized user cards and have them pay you back for any purchases they make.

你可以向你的孩子解释这些，但是为了让这些信息持久，他们需要自己培养这些习惯。这也是为什么把孩子设置为授权用户是件好事的另一个原因。你可以让他们开始使用他们的授权用户卡，并让他们为他们的任何购买支付你。

It's like a credit card with training wheels. They get the experience of using a credit card and having a bill to pay. You get to watch and point out any potential problems, like if they spend more than they can afford or forget to pay the bill.4. Be a cosigner for them

就像有辅助轮的信用卡。他们获得了使用信用卡和有账单要付的体验。你可以观察并指出任何潜在的问题，比如他们是否花了超出他们能力范围的钱或忘记付账单。成为他们的共同签署人

Even if your kids build strong credit histories, they may still sometimes need a cosigner. Landlords, lenders, and credit card companies can be hesitant to approve young applicants on their own.

即使你的孩子建立了良好的信用记录，他们有时仍然需要一个共同签署人。房东、贷款人和信用卡公司可能会犹豫是否批准年轻的申请者。

In situations like these, a cosigner can make all the difference. You could help your child get approved for that apartment they want or their first credit card in their name.

在这种情况下，一个共同签名者可以使一切不同。你可以帮助你的孩子申请到他们想要的公寓或者以他们的名义办第一张信用卡。

There's obviously a risk involved with being a cosigner. You're just as liable as they are for any financial issues that arise. So you should only agree if you're confident your child will be responsible. But if you've taken the time to educate them about credit and smart financial habits, then they should know enough to deserve your vote of confidence.

作为共同签署人显然是有风险的。你和他们一样要对出现的任何财务问题负责。所以，只有在你确信你的孩子会负责任的情况下，你才应该同意。但如果你已经花时间教育他们关于信用和明智的金融习惯，那么他们应该知道足够多，值得你的信任投票。

Credit is an area where a lot of young adults struggle. Some don't understand the importance of building credit, while others enjoy using credit cards too much and get themselves into credit card debt. By schooling your kids on credit at an early age, they're much more likely to use credit cards wisely and build good credit scores.Our credit card expert uses the card we reveal below, and it could earn you $1,148 (seriously)

信用是许多年轻人努力奋斗的领域。有些人不明白建立信用的重要性，而另一些人太喜欢使用信用卡，使自己陷入信用卡债务。让你的孩子在很小的时候就接受信用教育，他们更有可能明智地使用信用卡，建立良好的信用评分。我们的信用卡专家使用下面我们揭示的信用卡，它可以赚你1148美元(真的)