Jeff Rodemeyer, left, Jeff Kolzow, center, and Rick Aussprung
As a parent, you want to encourage your child to make good choices—and learning how to manage money is part of the process.
While the early years might be spent teaching the basics of money and how it is used, the teen years bring an additional set of challenges. Allowances, money from jobs, the constant bombardment from advertisers and peer pressure to buy the latest and greatest add a whole new dimension to learning the ropes of managing money.
However, these challenges open up the door to a whole new set of teaching opportunities. The following tips from Thrivent Financial can help you and your teen get on the right track toward establishing a financial foundation that could last a lifetime.
1) Create spending and savings patterns
Start by instilling the values of spend, save and share in your teen. First, discuss using 10 percent of each child’s earnings for charitable contributions, so he can learn the value of giving back. Next, take an additional 40 percent and put it into a savings account. The remaining 50 percent can be used at the child’s discretion. By setting some easy-to-understand patterns while they are under your roof, kids can develop good budgeting habits.
2) Get started on a path to build credit
Set up a checking or savings account, make regular deposits, and keep the account in good standing. Get your teen started on the right financial foot today, and it may be easier for him to someday buy a new car, mortgage a home or secure other types of loans. As an added bonus, having a checking or savings account allows your teen to learn about online banking and using ATMs. Sometimes, they even can build credit without the risk of credit cards if you co-sign a small overdraft protection line of credit on the checking account. You can monitor its use and help encourage the student to pay it off as soon as possible after it advances.
3) Set goals
Have your teen write down a list of certain items or special gifts he would like to buy with his money, and set a reasonable date for the goal to be accomplished. Having an end goal in mind can help teens put away the money needed for that special something. This approach also can serve as a great lesson on how to meet those goals through proper money management.
4) Begin saving for retirement
Yes, it is never too early to think about retirement. If your teenager is working, he should consider opening an IRA. A 40-year old investing $20,000 a year for retirement will end up with only half of the assets as a 21-year-old who invests $5,000 a year. Even the smallest savings can turn into a respectable fortune if given enough time.
5) Don’t bail them out
This is one of the most difficult, yet important lessons to teach. If, despite all your best efforts, your teen gets overextended on credit, take a firm hand. Let him experience the consequences of bad financial decisions. It’s better to help him take responsibility for a $2,500 debt than a $25,000 debt later on.
Other ideas to consider
- Develop a realistic budget with your teen. Set long- and short-term financial goals and plans for achieving them.
- Cut back, not out. Is your teen spending $5 a week on food? If he saves $2 a week by cutting back, after a year, there will be $104 to put in a savings or investment account, which earns interest.
- Discuss the difference between must-have purchases today, such as school supplies, and would-like-to-have purchases, such as the addition of the latest fashion to an already adequate wardrobe.
- Explain the advantages of deferring purchases today, such as the latest computer game, to save for another desired item, like a car or college education, tomorrow.
- Promote shopping around before making purchases. Generally, it assures a better deal and discourages impulse buying. Also, take the opportunity to teach the importance of making a list before shopping— and how to stick to it.
- Encourage the use of a personal financial management tool to track income, savings, expenses and debt. It is good to get in the habit of tracking monthly spending, as small purchases, such as magazines or sodas, begin to add up after time.
- Use financial (checking account, credit card, etc.) statement reviews as an aid to evaluate spending habits and promote sound financial practices, as well as to teach how to watch for irregularities possibly signaling fraud.
The teen years can challenge even the most patient parent. However, by teaching important lessons about money management early on, you might be giving the gift of a lifetime of good financial habits.
Thrivent Financial is represented in the Red Mountain area by Red Mountain Group, which includes Jeff Kolzow, Jeff Rodemeyer and Rick Aussprung, at 2941 N. Power Road, Suite 105. Call (480) 396-5333.
994636-082014