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Read NGPF's school-by-school analysis of financial education in America today
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Savings
So Expensive Series
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Teacher Talk
One trap I am constantly trying to avoid in my work is what I would call the “specialist’s mindset.” It comes from studying a subject for a long period of time and manifests itself in several ways, including heavy use of jargon and terminology. Oh, and it also comes with a belief that everyone somehow has a similar level of knowledge about your specialized topic. This leaves the specialist wondering why you might get a quizzical look when discussing the merits of index investing compared to active management. It all seems so obvious, doesn’t it?
I had the gift of observing a “beginner’s mind” this weekend when I took my teenage daughter to sign up for her first checking account. She already had experience with a savings account but now it was time to move up to the big leagues. What I learned from this experience is how this one account ties together so many key financial concepts which can seem so overwhelming to a financial newbie. Let me explain.
First, we were extremely fortunate to have the bank manager sit down with my daughter to walk her through all the facets of her checking account (thank you Vinita!). I tried to keep my mouth shut so it was strictly an interaction between her and my daughter. I occupied myself by keeping a list of all the concepts she covered during the account set-up process:
So, what did this all look like from a teen’s perspective. Here were her three reactions (and my reactions to her reactions):
Stay tuned for reaction when I add her as an authorized user on my credit card (something tells me that I should let her settle in to her checking account for a few years first!) …
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Tim's saving habits started at seven when a neighbor with a broken hip gave him a dog walking job. Her recovery, which took almost a year, resulted in Tim getting to know the bank tellers quite well (and accumulating a savings account balance of over $300!). His recent entrepreneurial adventures have included driving a shredding truck, analyzing executive compensation packages for Fortune 500 companies and helping families make better college financing decisions. After volunteering in 2010 to create and teach a personal finance program at Eastside College Prep in East Palo Alto, Tim saw firsthand the impact of an engaging and activity-based curriculum, which inspired him to start a new non-profit, Next Gen Personal Finance.
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