Customer Reviews

Kids and Money: Giving Them the Savvy to Succeed Financially (Bloomberg Personal Bookshelf (Paperback))

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How many books do you know that have actually improved your life? We're not just talking finances here. This book will change the atmosphere in your family in ways you thought impossible.

Kids and Money convinced us to change our approach to allowances. Not only did we end up spending less by eliminating all those little "off-budget" extras, our kids suddenly became interested in getting value for their dollars. No more extravagant purchases that they wore once and forgot. And they began to take better care of the things they did buy. No more nagging!

Kids and Money is full of great advice on many other subjects. Including how to finance college if you didn't (or couldn't) start saving when the kids were born. And there's a terrific list of web resources at the end.

Reading Jayne Pearl's excellent book, Kids and Money, I was encouraged to find a roadmap to guide my daughter through the complexities of the financial world. Pearl's practical approach to teaching children ways of handling money from early on can help my child develop a healthy and savvy attitude about money that will serve her well throughout her life. If my parents had a book like this when I was growing up and had taught me more about dealing with money, it might have saved me from struggling with finances in my adult life. Children need a firm foundation in understanding the value of money and knowing what to do, or, what not to do with it. This can only come through conscious, explicit teachings. Pearl encourages dialogue with children and offers a wealth of advice in communicating about this difficult subject.

Jayne Pearl's Kids And Money: Giving Them The Savvy To Succeed Financially is a thoughtful, easy-to-understand, well-written parental guide to a the sticky conundrum of teaching children from age 4 to 18 on how to be responsible with their money. Various money-related milestones, from allowances and first jobs to credit cards and college, are all carefully navigated with frank, friendly wisdom. Tougher issues such as shoplifting, gambling, and overspending are also discussed, with practical advice for the wide gamut of family money situations. In an increasingly modern society where a few clicks of the computer mouse can drain one's credit card account as fast as electrical information can travel, money savvy is more important than ever, making Kids And Money a "must" for any parent whose children aren't already majoring in finance.

Financial matters to me are a big yawn, so it was great to read a book that made money something even I could understand. I don't know whether I've always handled my son's financial education in the best fashion, so it was reassuring to know that it isn't too late to make up for lost time. This book did a superb job of giving me actionable advice and -- for my husband and son -- lots of great websites to go to for more information. (Males will read anything that is on a website!) This book also makes a good reference for financial situations as they arise. My 11-year-old is nowhere near ready for college, but I'll keep the book handy for when the time comes...

What could be more important than teaching your child how to handle money? Though some say money is the root of all evil, we all know that it is certainly something we cannot do without. Teaching children about money, given all the new and complex choices that exist for people today, is more important than ever before. As a parent and now, a grandparent, I have lived through an evolution of money-handling which requires more knowledge with each passing day. I was unaware of that fact until the author pointed it out to me. As Jayne Pearl states in this excellent book, children of all ages are given so many choices, but little formal education about money exists in most school systems. Someone has to help the children understand how to prepare for the future. It's up to the parents. It's important that parents have access to all the facts quickly when they, or their children, have a question. (Life is hectic for working parents today.) This book gives parents easy access to all the latest information from professional financial experts, including many experienced parents, psychologists and others. Kids and Money is a collection of resources, though well-written, in understandable and/or explained terms. It is enjoyable and easy to read. The hard work has been done, and the reader only has to ask the right question. With this book on the shelf, the reader will know just where to go to find each answer. Sometimes there is more than one possible answer and that is also addressed by the author. The author's gift of additional resources presented in the Appendix will help to provide answers to every imaginable question any parent may have on the subject.

Jayne A. Pearl shows you how to give your children financial roots and wings. By roots, she means good financial information, values, and ethics. By wings, she means encouraging kids to be confident, independent financial managers. While Jayne Pearl's information is thorough, some of it is specific to U.S. taxation laws and economic structures, which makes the book less useful to an international audience. We... recommend this book to parents who are concerned about their children's financial well being, and to those who need a refresher on good spending habits.