“The best time to build lifelong money habits is when you are young. The second-best time is today.”
From the Blog · Created June 4, 2026 · Updated September 4, 2026
Practical writing for families building wealth across generations.
Babysitting and odd jobs count. Allowances, chore money and gifts do not. Which kinds of kid income the IRS accepts for a custodial Roth IRA, how to document it, and the 2026 limit of $7,500 or total earnings, whichever is less.
The April figure behind this spring’s running-out-of-savings headlines was revised from 2.6% to 4.4%. What the saving rate actually measures, why “excess savings ran out” depends on the model, where the cash went, and who is under real strain.
The federal $1,000 seed takes an election, and some employers add money of their own. What Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, Schwab, Intel and Micron each announced, the four steps to take before your first deposit, and a question to copy and paste to HR.
Four more states started requiring personal finance with this fall’s freshmen, bringing the count to 30. What the mandates cover, what Virginia and Utah show about how much sticks, why a UTMA can start the investing lesson at five, and five conversations to have at home.
Roughly 3.6 million borrowers defaulted across two quarters as the payment pause unwound. What default actually does, why the risk sits with borrowers who did not finish rather than the biggest balances, and the four conversations to have before a teenager signs.
Google gave Android families a supervised spending balance that iPhone families have had since 2020. The fees, the limits, the parental controls, and where a supervised wallet sits against Greenlight and a teen brokerage debit card.
The 2027–28 FAFSA is available to everyone by October 1, and Parent PLUS borrowing now stops at $20,000 a year. The September checklist, the aid appeal that works, and what to do if your kids are younger.
A child’s Social Security number is a blank credit file nobody is watching, and the fraud can run for a decade before anyone looks. The protected consumer freeze is free at all three bureaus, takes about thirty minutes, and doubles as your kid’s first lesson in how credit actually works.
Ted Benna built the 401(k) in 1981 and now says it fails the workers who need it most. Where the coverage gap actually sits, why the 2027 Saver’s Match skips your teenager, and the four accounts your children can open without an employer.
Schwab found 70% of teens are interested in investing — and the ones who are name AI, video games and social media. Don’t lecture the enthusiasm away. The 80/20 core-and-explore split that turns a hot stock pick into an actual education.
Six studies across the US, Canada, the UK and Australia found the same gap: families are having the money conversations and skipping the practice. The headline numbers, and where to read the full research.
The same bill that created Trump Accounts doubled the 529’s K-12 limit to $20,000, made homeschooling and career credentialing qualified expenses, and made 529A ABLE rollovers permanent. What changed, and why the 15-year clock says open one today.
All 18 state tax-free weekend dates and price caps, 49 teacher, first responder and military discount programs, what rebates and cash back are actually worth chasing, and where to find free school supplies. Updated through the season.
The average family will spend $864 per K–12 child this season. A five-step budget that actually holds — and how to hand your kids a real allocation so the trade-offs they make become the lesson.
A post promising tax-free wealth through a trust, an LLC, and business credit lines keeps crossing our feed. What each step actually does, where the danger hides, and the boring plan that beats it.
529, Trump Account, custodial Roth IRA, teen brokerage — 2026 has more kids’ account options than ever. The order to layer six accounts from birth to 18, and the single job each one does.
Teen hiring is the weakest it has been since 1948 — but for the kid who earns anything this summer, scarcity makes that money rarer, not less useful. How a summer paycheck (or a babysitting cash box) becomes a custodial Roth IRA and a 50-year head start.
SECURE 2.0 lets up to $35,000 of unused 529 funds roll into your child’s Roth IRA tax-free — and the 15-year clock starts the day you open the account, not the day you fund it. Here’s why that changes the math on opening one at birth.
Even a $130,000 family is falling behind as groceries outrun paychecks — while households that own stocks pull further ahead. The case for owning the whole market through a low-cost S&P 500 index fund, and why it matters most for your kids.
The provider list is finally set and the IRS Form 4547 election is live — Trump Accounts open July 4 with a $1,000 government seed, yet nearly 80% of eligible families still haven’t claimed it. The two-step plan to be ready on day one, plus how the account fits alongside a 529 and a custodial Roth IRA.
Every dollar your teen earns this summer unlocks custodial Roth IRA space that can compound tax-free for 50 years — and it expires at year-end if unused. The playbook our family uses, including the parent match and a free income tracker.
For the first time, through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), the federal government is seeding an investment account for newborns. The free $1,000 government deposit is the headline. The decisions you make around it are what actually matter.
Fidelity Youth, Schwab Teen Investor, or a traditional UTMA custodial account? The real decision isn't the features — they're nearly identical — it's who owns the account and how much control you keep. A side-by-side comparison for families.
A practical family debt-payoff method built on modified Ramsey Baby Steps — snowballs, blizzards, and avalanches, plus a debt-reduction spreadsheet you can run with your spouse each month.
From piggy banks to first investments — teaching children that money is earned, saved, and grown. A practical guide to building financial literacy early.
Expanded content on core financial concepts
Many of our most substantial pieces live in the Financial Education section, where they're organized into a complete curriculum. You may also find helpful deep-dives on specific topics there.