 TITLE: How Many Credit Cards Should a College Student Have? CONTENT: Getting a credit card while you're in college is a good idea for a couple of reasons. If you ever shop online, a credit card offers stronger fraud protection than a debit card, limiting your liability to $50. A credit card can be a safety net in case of large, unexpected expenses, such as a costly car repair. Perhaps most important, using a credit card responsibly will help you build a credit history, which is one of the first steps of \"adulting.\" You'll need a credit history to rent an apartment or get a loan to buy a car, for instance. (If you don't have a credit card yet, find out how to get your first credit card.) END