Teaching our youth about responsible personal finances is an absolute must. After all, these youngsters will be the ones running the world when we are old and retired. Not to mention we want the best for our children, so teaching them right from wrong only makes sense. Unfortunately, when many adults teach their children about proper morality, they often leave out the part about leading a financially responsible lifestyle. This means that they should live within their means, pay their taxes, work at their job, spend less money than they earn, and be mindful of their finances. For me, the most basic aspect of leading a financially sound life begins with opening your first bank account. There are even bank accounts geared toward children now. As a parent, you can easily compare bank accounts online and find the right one for your child to begin saving.
Parents often don’t understand the importance of the lesson they are teaching when they setup their child’s very first bank account. This is what taught me the value of saving, and the dangers of spending. It was fun to earn money and watch my balance grow. Then when it came time to leave home and go to college, I at least had a little money saved to help get them through those four tumultuous years without having to work full time. The pain and suffering of saving a little money here and there is much easier than the pain that comes with needing money and not having any available. There are many options for basic bank accounts so finding one should come with no excuses.
Sit down with you kids today and have them read some reputable finance blogs (even this one if you choose), investing sites, and brokerage sites. Financial literacy and education is at our very finger tips, and the average consumer can find just about any piece of information they want within minutes. Who knows, you may be preparing your child to be the next Chairman of the Federal Reserve, or a Wall Street powerbroker, or even a public accountant that will end up doing your taxes a few years down the road. Years from now when your children are leaving college debt free, purchasing their first new car, or putting a down payment on their first home, they will be eager to thank you for instilling financial responsibility and the value of saving a dollar so early in life.