Like, I believe they're right that going to college on a full-ride scholarship was better than going to a more expensive one on a loan.

I also believe they're right that credit cards are bad. Like, banks make money on credit cards by: 1. hoping you miss a payment, and collecting interest, and 2. charging merchants, thus raising the price of goods for everyone (typically)

I guess you're saying that we should teach people "Yes, use credit cards, these tools designed to put you in debt, but be careful. Why use something designed to put you in debt? Because there's another private company that will punish you by not letting you rent certain apartments if you don't use a credit card"

Overall, credit is not advantageous to most people that use it for consumerism. Credit should only be used for investments with a commensurate return above the interest rate.

My parents were quite well off, and my dad often times tried to get me to use a credit card, not because it was free money (i was very well financially educated by them) but because things like credit scores do get checked by employers (sometimes) or housing companies to determine all sorts of things, so it would make sense to buy 1-2 small things (say, like a pack of gum or a sandwich) a month on the card to immediately pay it off, so the credit score would be good.

I protested, and to this day have never owned a credit card. I live within my means, don't splurge on stupid shit, and do money-saving things as much as I can. I don't own a car, and since I'm fortunate to live in a dense city in a warm environment, I can walk almost anywhere at any time of year. There's also free public transportation.

The only "credit" I have is a small amount of margin I have in my trading account, which I only use on topping up low-risk, dividend-paying investments that I also sell deep OTM calls against. It's a slight risk, yes, but it's as delta-neutral as I can get while still making consistent money.