Piggy Bank © 401(K) 2013
When I was still in high school, I was lucky enough to be from a family that was financially stable and able to provide me with a fixed weekly income. An allowance, technically. It wasn’t anything to brag about. Still, through that allowance I was able to learn a whole lot about money, savings, investing, and other financial tricks. My parents helped me understand how to handle money and find the bigger picture for saving instead of spending it all in one weekend. (Growing up in a household with financial advisers for parents also helped.) When I left for college, I had a confident and solid understanding of finance. Unfortunately, not everybody can say the same.
In an economy like ours today, it has never been more important to give children not merely a fundamental literacy, but a financial one as well. According to studies here, 65% of people believe that the responsibility to teach financial literacy lies with the parents. High schools are in second place with a low 16%, and the teen individual him/herself at 12%. Seeing as the overwhelming majority believe the responsibility lies with the parents, parents must exert some ounce of consideration for teaching their kids about money, even if it is as simple as walking them through their bank’s website.
Wall-to-Wall Street 