College students are a 'prime target' for credit-card companies

Each fall, concerns about young adults falling prey to aggressive credit-card marketing resurface as 17 million college students flock to campuses across the United States.

Nearly a dozen states have made it more difficult for card companies to market on public campuses, and a growing number of colleges, on their own, have begun to impose restrictions.

But these steps belie a stark reality: Credit-card marketers are as aggressive as ever about reaching students. Some solicit students, by phone or e-mail, and flood their mailboxes with credit-card applications.

Other marketers set up tables around heavily trafficked campus areas, hawking free sandwiches or pizzas to hungry students to get them to sign up for a credit card.

Read more at: College students are a 'prime target' for credit-card companies