Citizens State Bank is committed to increasing the financial literacy of our customers and community. Click on any of the topics below for tips on good money management. Share what you learn with your children and grandchildren. When it comes to money management skills, learning can never begin too early.
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PARENTS GUIDE It’s not just a nice idea to teach kids how to handle money and credit— it’s essential! Teen spending in the United States — products bought by and for teens — totaled $208.7 billion in 2011, according to research published in September 2012. Clearly they know how to spend. What |
Everyday Teachable Moments
In many families, money is a taboo topic. But you can help your children and grandchildren learn financial lessons that will last a lifetime by looking for teachable moments in your daily life that naturally bring up the topic of money. Here are some examples of teachable moments to help you get started:
Early Money Management Habits for Kids
There are many events in children’s lives when good money management skills can be fostered. By constant repetition, these skills will develop into life-long habits. Consider a few opportunities to reinforce messages:
Teaching Teens the ABCs of Using Credit Wisely
Teens notice each time you pull out the plastic — but do they understand how it works? Probably not. You might be using a debit or credit card — very different ways to pay for things, but to kids, they look the same. Any time you make a purchase, regardless of whether you use cash, credit or debit, there’s an opportunity to teach kids about savings, budgeting and credit.
Learning about credit cards and debit cards is particularly important for teens, with debit cards becoming a very good option over credit cards. In fact, according to the most recent nationwide survey of high school seniors, the Jump$tart Coalition® for Personal Financial Literacy found that students’ use of debit cards has skyrocketed.
Some 53.3 percent of respondents reported having a debit card compared with 35.9 percent just six years previously. Teens and their parents are realizing that a debit card can be a very valuable budgeting tool since cardholders can only spend what is already in their account (unless there are special overdraft features of the card). As kids mature, a credit card will be an important option in order to establish a credit history that may be necessary to rent or purchase a home. Some 55 percent of college seniors have a credit card of their own. The credit history may even be checked by a potential employer. Thus, helping your teens develop good credit management habits will help them avoid serious consequences that can last for years.
An opportune time to talk about spending and using debit and credit cards is before shopping for school clothes. Talk about:
- How you will pay for the purchases — debit or credit.
- Budgeting — these are anticipated expenses that can be planned for in advance.
- Having a limit on what you’ll spend.
- What you or your family might need to cut back on or do without to cover these expenses. Children only see what you buy and not what is given up. (Access Decision Leaves for help with decision-making.)
If you use a credit card, help your children understand that you are taking out a small loan. Paying your debts on time and keeping your credit history strong is another important message. And tell them what the real cost will be for your purchase once the interest charges are added on.
Here are a few quick questions your teen could ask himself or herself when shopping:
- Do I really need this item now?
- Do I have enough money in my debit account or in my budget this month to pay off the entire purchase?
- If I use a credit card, what additional fees or interest will I pay to carry a balance?
- What will I have to give up in order to buy this? (Access Decision Leaves for help with decision-making.)
The views, information, or opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of Citizens State Bank and its affiliates, and Citizens State Bank is not responsible for and does not verify the accuracy of any information contained in this article or items hyperlinked within. This is for informational purposes and is no way intended to provide legal advice.