My oldest child will be going to college next year, so we've been trying to figure out a money system that works ahead of time. We don't know where she'll be going yet, so I'd like to find a method that can be managed online and isn't location dependent.

We've been experimenting with a few things, and when I heard about the American Express Prepaid card, it sounded like something we should try.

Some of the features that make it sensible for a college student:

Prepaid - Having a prepaid card means no overspending or overdraft fees, important for someone with new independence!

Protection if the Card is lost or stolen - You're not responsible for fraudulent charges and American Express will replace the funds. Things get lost at college, ya know.

Easy ways to add money - You can add money online or by phone, from a bank account or even with cash. This is important since we don't know where she'll be going to school and we'll need to be able to get money to her easily.

Manage the card online - It's going to be important for us to be able to monitor her spending, especially at the beginning, so the ability to manage the account online will be important.

The American Express Prepaid card is something we could also use for our younger children as they get older and need to learn about spending money and are out of the house more, too.

Do you have kids in college? Do you have any hints for me about managing money and allowance?

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of American Express and received a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate