Annette Harris, a financial advisor, is determined to provide her children with an early lesson in finance aimed at shaping their future financial behavior. Harris’s teaching methods combine self-directed learning, practical exercises and guided instruction on essential topics such as saving, budgeting, and investing.
These lessons are designed to be both age-appropriate and engaging. They foster a developing awareness about their spending habits and provide them with the tools they need to make sound financial decisions. Harris’s ultimate aim is that this education encourages her children to become financially independent adults.
At the age of 14, Harris’s youngest daughter started learning about investing. Through a custodial account Harris set up for her, the young teen began learning the ins and outs of researching markets, understanding different stock types, and effective risk management strategies.
By becoming authorized users of Harris’s credit cards, the children learned important nuances of credit card management.
Teaching children practical fiscal responsibility
Harris used this to teach about keeping balances in check, managing due dates, and avoiding interest and late charges; she underscored that responsible credit card usage is crucial in today’s digital age.
The children learned how to track expenses and payments effectively using state-of-the-art tools such as online banking and mobile apps. Harris also stressed the importance of everyday expense tracking, using tools like Excel spreadsheets or notebooks to document their monetary movements daily.
One of the most profound lessons Harris imparted to her children was the recognition of one’s knowledge limitations, the need to ask questions and seek answers, and the importance of humility in life and money matters. Alongside these life lessons, practical advice on managing finances took center stage. Harris’s teachings promote not just monetarily advantageous habits but a lifestyle centered on financial responsibility and discipline.
