The teen years often set the course for a person’s adult spending habits.  For that reason, it is wise to attempt to influence a teenager's spending habits as early as possible.  

Perhaps the easiest place to begin is with your teen's clothing & accessories, gadgets, and electronics.

Numerous reports are stating that there will likely be very few job opportunities for teenagers this summer.  This is unfortunate. However, there are some fun alternatives that you might not have thought of.

Since the "traditional" summer jobs may be fewer in number this summer, teens just need to be a little more creative to come up with their own job opportunities.

Here are some ideas...

According to the Jumpstart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy, the average high school graduate lacks the basic skills needed to manage his or her own personal finances. In fact, young people tend to fail miserably in managing their first credit card, and they learn to manage finances through trial and error. 
 
Most children tend to learn all of their parents' bad financial habits and none of the good.

Yesterday I saw a segment on NBC's Today Show which reminded me of my college days when I contemplated debt consolidation... or credit counseling... or even bankruptcy. 

This was Ivan's question for money expert Jean Chatzky:

I am a 21-year-old college student with a lot of debt. I owe $15,000 and the credit card companies don't stop harassing me because I can't even pay the minimums. My income barely covers those minimum payments. I attempted to consolidate my credit but backed out last minute due to all the articles I read. Someone told me my best bet was to file for bankruptcy. Any advice?"
 

Hearing Ivan's situation made me flash back to my own college days when I, too, was in debt up to my ears.

Jean Chatzky's recommendation for Ivan was basically to try credit counseling. Here's why, plus what to look for when you're trying to find a reputable credit counseling company...

As I read an article on a Seattle News website about the money squeeze that seniors face, I couldn’t help but wonder why these seniors don’t move in with their adult kids. 

I realize that I recently wrote about how adult kids living with mom and dad can put a drain on the parents'  retirement. But if you turned the situation around, it could actually be quite advantageous for parents to move in with their adult children.

Extended families are good for finances...

You would think that any way you can find to save money would be a good thing, right?  Well... not necessarily.

A large number of Generation Y is still living at home with mom and dad, in an effort to save for the future. 

While this means these adult kids will have more money in their bank accounts to buy a home and start a family, it also puts a strain on Mom and Dad's savings. And they still have their own future to plan for.

I recently wrote about Georgia's attempt at using a finance curriculum to heal Georgia's financial woes.

It got me thinking about the approach of a homeschooling friend and her family's approach to teaching her daughters to handle money.