It is not an easy job and maybe you best start with teaching them the concept of money. If they don't know why they need money and where it is used for, they will spend every penny they have. You can best start as soon as possible because once they develop a habit in saving; they will easily understand the ropes to setting goals in life.
Here are some tips which may help you to teach teens the financial skills they need to know about financial planning:
*The concept of money
Teens need to know where money comes from. It is important they know people have to work for money and is used for many purposes in life. People need money for living expenses and everything they want to buy. It is important they know that they can't buy everything they want. It is important they understand they can't spend more than they possess and need money for some goals in life.
*Saving
Kids will easy understand they can buy things with the money they have but it is important they can't get all the necessary money at once. They need to save for buying more expensive goods and it is really important they understand the benefits of saving. For example, saving in a savings account offers a certain amount of interest dependent on the interest rate you have. If they understand that money makes money, they will likely learn to save and discover they will have after a time more money in their savings account than they transferred to this account.
*The habit of saving regularly
It is important they develop a habit of saving regularly. You can best teach them to save a certain percentile of their pocket money in a savings account. It is important they realize why they save and that they will only get the necessary money they need for buying something they like after several months. They also need to know that even they have saved this amount they can't spend all the money in their savings account. They need to know some things in life can happen where they need money for and it is wise to teach them the need of a financial safety net.
*Paying bills and cutting down expenses
It is important parents teach their children to pay bills. You can take your kids with you if you go shopping and they can check the prices. They need the knowledge about how much living expenses cost. They will likely buy something which they like and you can best teach them to pay their own bills. Probably they have a cell phone and it is a good idea if you teach them to pay their cell phone bills. They can check the bill and realize that calling is expensive. If they pay their own bills they will understand to need of cutting down expenses.
Cutting down expenses has the benefit they can keep more money in their savings account and they can accumulate more money. They are smart enough to understand that they reach sooner some goals faster.
*A budget
It is wise to make your budget together with your kids. You can explain the essential needs of a budget. They need to know that a budget is necessary to cut down expenses to save enough for short-term and long-term goals. You can best take it easy when you start but after some time they will understand all the different kind of expenses. You can explain some easy ways to save money which can help to provide enough money to pay all your bills and having enough money to save for future goals. It is really important they understand the difference between short-term and long-term goals.
*A credit card and the dangers of debt
We can't imagine a world anymore without credit cards. You need to teach your children to use them wisely and to check they don't spend more than they have in their account. It is necessary they understand they go in debt if they spend more and that they need to pay a high interest rate for the amount they go in debt.
It is also important you teach them the risks of taking a loan. It is sometimes necessary, for example if people want to buy a house but it is important they realize they have to pay off every month a certain amount and that the interest rate can be high. They need to know that they best can limit taking loans because they otherwise they can come in a situation that they never can pay off their loan. They need to know the dangers of too much debt and that this danger can cause a financial disaster.
Teens can never know enough about financial planning but you need to take the necessary time to teach your children the necessary knowledge. It is best you teach them the necessary skills step by step and warn them enough about the dangers. Give your teens the chance to practice in all the aspects of financial planning and these ropes will help them in their further life. They don't need to be financial experts, but the risk of impulsive spending, the need of saving, and avoiding too much risk in investments are items they need to know about in financial planning.
Published by Erik Van Tongerloo
I live in Belgium. My hobbies are travelling, watching movies, running, listening music, taking pictures. I enjoy writing and like to share this with everyone of the world. View profile
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4 Comments
Post a CommentGood advice!
Very sensible advice Eric, good article!
So true.
Excellent advice. I try to make sure my children are finacially educated.