It is our responsibility as parents to teach our kids the life skills they’ll need to thrive as adults. Some of the most important skills we can teach them relate to making smart money decisions. One topic that often provokes strong opinions relates to allowance: how much to give, whether to tie it to chores, and what it should cover. [...]
As the mother of two middle schoolers, at this time of year my thoughts turn to how to keep them busy over the summer. While we have a family vacation planned and they’ll go to a few camps, I also like them to learn something new over the summer. Given my job as a financial planner, that typically involves learning [...]
As my kids have grown, I’ve tried to teach them important money concepts along the way. After all, the Council for Economic Education reported in its 2018 Survey of the States that only 16 states require any economics course work during K-12, and only seven states require students to take courses in personal finance. So, it’s up to us parents [...]
If you’re like me, as summer break nears for my kids, I start to ponder how I can get the most out of the summer and make sure they learn something new or don’t slip too much academically during the break. Given my passion for financial literacy, I try to find ways to have them learn useful financial life skills. [...]
With summer vacation around the corner, you might be wondering how you will keep your kids occupied all summer and not hear, “I’m bored”, constantly. While figuring out what to do on their own has its own benefits, if you’d like to offer them some helpful ideas, here are a few activities that can help them learn something useful, too. [...]
This time of year, parents of high school seniors may find themselves experiencing dual emotions related to their kids – pride over the top-tier colleges their child has been accepted to and shock over how much it’s going to cost. Another emotion might quickly set in for those who haven’t saved enough for college – panic over how in the world [...]
Raising kids is expensive. By my estimate, it can cost close to $500K to raise a child, including college, in expensive parts of the country like the Bay Area. So, it’s helpful to know that there are certain tax advantages to having kids. A few of the more common ones are outlined below. […]
After a particularly divisive and negative election season, many might be craving a bit more positive energy and healing. The hectic pace and excessive consumption of the holidays can also cause stress. For these reasons, now is a particularly good time to focus on gratitude and generosity to others. […]
I wrote earlier this summer about using the classic lemonade stand to teach your kids about money. Back-to-school shopping is another great opportunity to continue the financial education. […]
Now that most kids are out of school, parents might start hearing the dreaded “I’m bored” if their kids aren’t in camps all summer. The next time you hear that phrase, instead of just telling them to go outside and play, encourage them to start a lemonade stand and use the opportunity to teach them some useful personal finance and [...]
