Most forward-thinking adults — particularly those of us with children or anyone who routinely interacts with youngsters — want our young people to develop good financial habits.
But if you’re like the typical American, you may also struggle when it comes to being a good financial role model for our youth.
A study by Northwestern Mutual revealed that 71% of parents feel that children should begin learning about money no later than the 1st grade. Yet, five in 10 parents say they do not set a good example when it comes to handling money, and that they are not capable of properly teaching their children to manage money.
Fortunately, you don’t have to rely on your own background and training — or the mistakes you may have made — as your only source of information. Here are a few other resources that can help you spread financial literacy to the youth you know.
Ever Heard of NAOI, NEFE or NCEE?
To boost your financial literacy, enroll in an adult education class on personal finances. To educate yourself about investing, join the National Association of Online Investors (NAOI), which has great online study courses.
For resources, fun games, tips and ideas for teaching youngsters about money, log onto http://www.nefe.org/ or call the National Endowment for Financial Education at 303-741-6333.
The Northwestern Mutual survey found that less than 40% of parents talked about credit cards, loans and debt, and their own family finances with their kids. Fewer than one in four parents (23%) talked to their children about how to invest.
When asked why each topic was not raised for family discussion, most responded, “Children have no business knowing this.†Others said they “didn’t think of it†or that they considered their children too young to broach these issues. But researchers also suggest another theory.
“It is almost certainly lack of confidence with their own financial management skills that keeps parents from discussing some of the more complex, and key, money issues with their children,†says Mark Schug, professor and Director of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Center for Economic Education.
If you are a parent or educator who would like more information and free materials on personal finance education, another source to check out is http://themint.org/. That web site, jointly run by Northwestern Mutual and the National Council on Economic Education, offers practical tips, lesson plans, newsletters and interactive challenges to help teach kids of all ages about money.
Teaching Kids About Choices With Money
There are a few other companies and initiatives that I consider enormously helpful for any parent, educator or adult who wants to teach kids about money — or even improve their own financial knowledge.
One of them is a fabulous web site, www.moneysavvygeneration.com, where you can get a special four-chambered piggy bank for kids. I consider this a 21st Century piggy bank, because instead of having just one slot, this Money Savvy Pig has four slots where youngsters can put coins or dollars.
Each slot is labeled “save,†“spend,†“donate,†and “invest,†in order to teach kids about the choices they have with money. I have these educational piggy banks for my kids and they love them. Susan Beacham is the co-founder of Money Savvy Generation. She and I have co-authored The Millionaire Kids Club, a series of four money-management books for children between the ages of five and 12.
Citigroup has one of the most comprehensive financial education programs I’ve encountered. For adults, there’s Citi Cards’ “Use Credit Wisely†program, as well as its “Hablando de Credito†or “Let’s Talk About Credit†education effort for Spanish-speaking consumers.
Both offer a wealth of personal finance tools, help and information. In 2004, Citigroup launched a 10-year, $200 million campaign to support financial literacy programs around the globe.
Additionally, its Smith Barney unit has a great Young Investors Network that’s good for middle school and high school students. The youngsters in the Network are taught fiscal responsibility, they learn how to calculate their college expenses, and they participate in a stock-portfolio contest, among other activities. To learn about the full range of personal finance initiatives sponsored or run by Citigroup, visit the company’s web site at www.citigroup.com. Then click on the “Financial Education†button found in the “Corporate Citizenship†section
Finally, “Hands on Banking†is a wonderful program by Wells Fargo that teaches money skills for four age groups,
ranging from fourth graders to adults. The curriculum is fun to use, free of charge, and available in both English and Spanish. A bonus element of this curriculum is that anyone can use it, because it’s designed for self-paced, individual learning, as well as for classroom and community groups. Get more info at www.handsonbanking.com.I could mention tons of other organizations and initiatives, such as the impressive YourMoneyCounts.com educational site funded by HSBC, and the terrific financial literacy work being done nationally by the JumpStart Coalition or the New York-based WorldofMoney.org, which is planning to take its mostly African-American students to China in 2013.
So this list of resources is not meant to be all-encompassing. The important thing to know is that there are reputable, quality sources of information and advice to put your children — or the youth in your sphere of influence — on the path to financial literacy.
“Ask The Money Coach†is a syndicated column written by personal finance expert Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, co-founder of the free financial advice blog, AskTheMoneyCoach.com. Follow Lynnette on Twitter at @themoneycoach.