Its Earth Day plant a tree as a symbol of Growth

In honor of Earth Day, plant a tree in your yard as a symbol of growth.  Knowing how to save, invest, donate and spend your money helps stimulate growth.  Check out the cool videos on this blog to learn more.  Go Team!  Brett Ellen, The Kids Finance Coach

You would do WHAT?

Kids love to ask questions. And so do parents. Here are five questions that will give you great insight into what your kids are thinking and curious about. Take their responses a bit futher by asking them to describe ways of how they could save, invest, donate or spend money to do the things they want.

1. If you had a million dollars in your pocket, what would you do with it and why?
2. If you were to do something nice for someone, who would it be for and what would you do?
3. What kind of job do you think would be fun to have and why?
4. What is your favorite thing to do and why?
5. If you could buy something for someone else, what would you buy? Who would it be for and why?

Be sure to scroll down and over to the right to watch Kids Finance Coach Kids Keanu and Tristen's videos about how to save, invest, donate, spend money.  Go Team!  Brett Ellen, The Kids Finance Coach

April is Youth Financial Literacy Month

A whole month dedicated just to you!  Learning how to save, invest, donate and spend money.  It's Youth Financial Literacy Month.  Start by watching the video's right here on this site.  Scroll down a bit and to the right.  Go Team!  Brett Ellen, the Kids Finance Coach.

Tell your money where to go

A great quote I want to share...it will get you thinking.  "It is better to TELL your money where to go than to ASK where it went."  April is Financial Literacy Month and as The Kids Finance Coach you'll see extra postings and resources right here and I invite you to click the learning center tab at  www.afn-net.com

Know your ABCs

Moving on to B:  Bank n. 1) an officially chartered institution empowered to receive deposits, make loans, and provide checking and savings account services, all at a profit.

Know your ABCs

You can learn about money by starting with your ABCs.  First up ... A:  Asset - Anything owned that has monetary value.

 

What’s It Going To Cost To Go To College?

As most of you know, or should know, the cost of going to college has become very expensive and the costs are increasing every year. If you are going to be responsible for paying all or a portion of your college expenses, the first step is to find out what the actual cost is going to be.


Start by visiting:
• The College Board
• The U.S. Department of Education
• A High School Guidance Counselor

If you are fortunate enough to know that your college expenses will be paid for by your parents or grand-parents, discovering the actual costs will help give you a deeper appreciation for your family's financial sacrifices in order to send you to college.

Parents: There are college investment options to fit almost any investor. No matter how modest or how ample your income, careful planning is the best way to “find” the money for college. The key is to start early and remain consistent. Read “What College Investment Options Do I Have?” to learn more.

"Character is doing the right thing when nobody's looking." ~ J.C. Watts

Did you ever have a chance to cheat on a test, but chose not to? Perhaps when no one was looking, you picked up the pencil your teacher dropped and put it back on the desk for her. Maybe instead of spending all your birthday money like your parents think you did, you actually put some of it in the collection box at church when they weren’t looking. We don’t make these decisions and take these actions for praise and rewards. We do them just because it's the right thing to do.

That being said, it sure does feel great when someone notices you being good! I was recently honored to receive a Community Leadership Excellence in Mentoring Award for doing what I love most – helping kids. I got dressed up, flew to New York City and went to a fancy dinner where a large group of professional people thanked me for teaching kids about money and for motivating children to change their world through volunteering. Sure it felt good to get all this attention, but the best part of the award was a large donation check that was given to my favorite charity, TKO Helping Hands.

I would coach kids and teach children and volunteer to pick up trash and more even if no one knew I was doing it, because I know it is right. You should be proud of yourself for doing all the good things you do when nobody’s looking. You may not know it yet, but you are making us adults very proud of you, too!

Wow! What a Work- shop!

Last month I held my first Kids Finance Coach Workshop at my home and it was a blast! We invited kids and their parents to my house for an afternoon of fun activities to learn about money. We talked about things like allowance and spending, and even why and how to start saving money. Of course we couldn’t talk about money without learning about charitable giving. Money really can be used to help improve the lives of others.

Parents, interested in having Coach Brett visit your community or starting a League of your own? Contact Denise Villanueva.

Bankers nationwide are celebrating National Teach Children to Save Day on Tuesday, April 21. Founded by the American Bankers’ Association Education Foundation, the day is dedicated to educating youth about the importance of saving.

Parents, Here are Five Tips for Teaching Financial Responsibility

1. Value of Saving – Teach children why you save and why they should save by using everyday examples like buying groceries. Illustrate how savings can grow by collecting money in a jar or container.
2. Needs vs. Wants – Explain the differences between needs and wants and how to prioritize spending. Use examples like toothpaste vs. another video game.
3. Allowance – Consider an allowance to teach how money is earned. Provide an allowance in a way that children can save part of it and spend part of it (for example, if an allowance is $5, give five one dollar bills so some can be saved and some spent).
4. Set a Goal – Setting a goal for savings or to buy a desired item will help teach a child to be responsible for him/herself and reinforce the feeling of accomplishment when the goal is reached.
5. Open a Savings Account – Establish regular saving habits that will last a lifetime by opening a savings account with your child.

CHECK OUT THE LINKS on our sidebar for lots of fun resources to help your children save!