I speak to teens and college students nationwide and I see it more often than I care to - teens, under the age of 18, still in high school getting into credit card debt before most are able to drink, drive or even vote.

Managing money is difficult for most adults, add the pressures to "fit in" and be "grown-up" before they're ready and teens are often caught in a tug-of-war between being dependent on their parents and totally independent to do what they please.

Cell phones, designer purses, MP3 players; now add credit cards to the short list of must-haves for teens, but where does it - or should it end?

I've always been a proponent of teaching kids about money, credit and debt early and often. With credit card companies marketing to younger audiences, as parents, the role of playing the "financial tough guy" is even more important now than it has ever been. Here's why...