Filed under: Celebrity News, News, Credit Card
A few weeks ago,I told you about the Kim Kardashian MasterCard, a truly terrible example of celebrity endorsement gone bad. I didn't blame Kim K. herself for this, after all -- if someone were silly enough to offer me lots of money to endorse a JayCard, I'd probably be headed to the bank quicker than you could finish this sentence. Kardashian didn't invent this form of faux-credit, she merely is the most recent person to profit from it. Surely many of you remember Master P's card (which sadly wasn't called "No Limit"), and we would probably rather forget Russell Simmons' RUSH card (and those terrible commercials). There's also Lil' Wayne's new card, which should be in middle schools and on street corners nationwide any day now.
Young Money!!!
While I can't hate the proverbial players here, I can hate the cards, which are all kinds of wrong when you look at the fees charged for trivial crap -- even if you don't make a transaction. The Consumerist actually looked at the fine print on the Kardashian Kard, and discovered a litany of assorted fees:
Kardashian Prepaid MasterCard Fees
Card Purchase (Includes monthly fees for 6 months) $59.95
Card Purchase (Includes monthly fees for 12 months) $99.95
Monthly Fee (Applies after initial purchase period) $7.95
Card Replacement - Primary or Companion $9.95
ATM Withdrawal - Domestic $1.50
ATM Inquiry or Decline - Domestic $1.00
ATM Withdrawal - International $2.50
ATM Inquiry or Decline - International $2.00
Point of Sale - Decline -Domestic $1.00
Point of Sale - Decline - International $1.00
External Checking or Savings Transfer (To/From) $1.00
Account to Account Transfer * $1.00
Retail Load Fee (MoneyGram) $1.00
Load Account by Debit/Credit Card ** $1.00
Cancel Account - Request Balance Mailed by Check $6.00
Service Center Care-Live operator $1.50
Bill Pay - Per Item $2.00
Replacement Card Expedite Fee (Overnight) $25.00
Sorry, folks, but if you're trying to teach your kids fiscal responsibility, maybe a fee-laden card like the Kim Kardashian debit card isn't the best of ideas. A simple teen checking account, which is offered by many banks and credit unions, accomplishes the same objective without the myriad fees and assorted nonsense.
Related:
+Kim Kardashian to Promote Pre-Paid Credit Cards to Kids
+Kim Kardashian Wants to Bejewel You In Bebe
That said, lets not knock Kim Kardashian for cashing in on this opportunity. It's your job as a parent to educate your kids on financial issues, not some reality star's.
Jay Anderson is a freelance writer from Washington, DC, whose work has been featured in the Washington Post and on NPR. When he's not busy talking smack here, he runs the award-winning blog AverageBro.com. Follow him via Twitter @AverageBro.