CHICAGO, July 29 /EMWNews/ -- If you're sending your son

or daughter off to college, you're probably warning them about the dangers

of alcohol, drugs, or other habits that might hurt them in the future. The

Illinois CPA Society suggests talking about money, too. Here are four tips

to help them avoid a bad financial start in life:



    1. Stay Away from Credit Cards. Getting taken in by the easy money of a

credit card is a problem that can stay with you years after leaving

college. Credit card offers are abundant on campuses; don't be lured into

signing up for a credit card by a T-shirt or other free gifts. (Parents, a

better idea for spending money is a joint credit card with a preset limit

to establish a credit history.)



    2. Don't Give Out Personal Information on the Internet. Students and

young adults can be a little too comfortable with the Internet. It's

important not to share personal information and even more important not to

give away details like your Social Security Number or bank account numbers.

Watch out for what appear to be official messages from a bank or even the

IRS asking for that kind of information. More likely it's phishing.



    3. Resist Social Pressure to Spend. Try not to fall into the trap of

buying something because everyone else has it and then spending more than

you have on something you really don't need. And don't feel you always need

to be the "good guy" who has the extra cash for tickets or the restaurant

tab.



    4. Prepare and Follow a Budget. It's not exciting but it's smart to

know where your money goes and how much you have to work with. You'll find

it's easy to get sidetracked from what you planned on spending on things

like books, cell phone service or clothes. Establishing a budget sets some

spending guidelines. Besides, budgeting's a good habit to develop and a

great way to show you're ready to be on your own.

    About the Illinois CPA Society



    The Illinois CPA Society, founded in 1903, is the fifth largest state

CPA society in the nation, with approximately 24,000 members. It is the

premier professional organization that represents CPAs in Illinois. During

its over 100 years of existence, the Society has advanced the highest

ethical and financial standards of the profession, and has been a leader in

educating the public on financial issues.