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Do you know what today is?

Go ahead, guess.  
Here’s a hint – it has to do with children and teaching them about money.

No need to keep you hanging, but today is Teach Children to Save Day, a 14-year-old program that partners banks with students to teach them about saving. The goal is to encourage bankers to reach 5 million students before the end of 2011, the 15th anniversary of the program.

Here are some tips from the Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants that can help start the discussion with your kids about money and saving:

•    Teach them responsibility. If and when you give your child an allowance, let them make decisions on how to spend their money. This allows them the opportunity to budget and take responsibility for their own expenses. Each child is ready for an allowance at a different age, but five or six is a good place to start. They won’t always make the right decisions, but they will learn from their mistakes now rather than when they are adults.
•    Discuss allowance options. There are many ways allowances can work – some parents pay one amount every week, while other children receive money in exchange for certain chores or accomplishments. Some families require children to save some part of their allowance, while others leave this decision up to the child. Explain to your children what they are expected to pay for with the money, whether it's splurge items or equipment they might need for their sports team.
•    Encourage savings. Whether you require your children to save part of their allowance or not, it’s a good idea to open savings accounts for them and suggest they set a small amount aside whenever they receive it. Of course, savings aren’t meaningful without a goal. When your child is dreaming of an expensive electronic gadget or some other pricey item, explain that he or she can have it – when there’s enough cash in the savings account to buy it.

For more information and tips from the Virginia CPAs, check out their Financial Fitness program at www.FinancialFitness.org.

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