Teaching Teens Dollars And Cents

Achievement’ Teaching Teens Dollars And Cents (NAPSA)—There may be at least one benefit to the state of the economy: It’s helped teach American teens somevaluable lessons. Fifty-three percent of teenagers surveyed said they’re now choosing activities that cost less money than they did in the past. Additionally, more than half say they talk about the economy with their friends. The poll also showed that young people are not immuneto the effects—or worries—of hard economic times. Fourteen percent of 15- to 17-year-olds reported the need to contribute financially to the family budget, and one-third of all teens reported less job availability. Additionally: Eighteen percent of teens said they have lost a job due to the economy. Fifteen percent said they have reduced extracurricular activities as a result of the economy. Nearly three in 10 teens said that the economy is causing them anxiety. A Smart Approach So how can parents help ease their children’s economic concerns? “Possessing and using sound money management skills can help young people feel more in control of their futures,” says Jack E. Kosakowski, president of Achievement USA. Kosakowski’s group cosponsored the survey with The Allstate Foundation. The organizations have also created a financialliteracy program for middle-school students called JA Economics for Success”. The initiative helps teach money management skills—such as budgeting and understanding Improving teens’ financial literacy could payoff. the cost of credit—using hands-on, age-appropriate lessons. Additionally, the groups created a set of free personal-finance teaching tools to help parents talk to their children about the importance of sound money-management skills. The 12 lessons can be downloaded at www.ja.org/ programs/programs_save_usa _materials_parents.shtml. Learning More Parents can visit www.ja.org to learn more about Achievement. The group is the world’s largest organization dedicated to educating young people about work readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy. It offers programs to help students in grades K-12 devise and adhere to a budget, learn about the cost of credit and become informed consumers who make smart choices.