Thank you DiversyFund for sponsoring this post. It’s never too early to learn about investing for your future!
Since they were wee bundles, too young to make any money at all and too young to understand the value of having it and the anxiety of being without, I have been having small talks about this big subject with my two daughters. Early on, talk of money was a binary conversation — to save or to spend, that is the question, as Shakespeare most certainly did not say — but as my girls grew up, started their own small business together, began to work, pondered launching a pet rescue, drive my car (aaah!!), and conjure up their version of adulthood, I began to reduce my talking points down like a pan sauce to make them richer, more full-bodied, and essential for turning the everyday into something memorable.
Empowering Kids to Save, Spend & Invest in the Future They’re Writing for Themselves
Our money chats now bob and weave seamlessly between saving, spending, investing, charitable giving, and the joys of it all.
Additionally, I am using my own experiences, the very good and the oh so bad, as a way of empowering a pair of bright young people to not just dream of their future but to actually write it out and write it down, line by line. DiversyFund too is in the business of empowerment! The investing platform aims to demystify the oft-complex world of investing as a way to help the everyday investor close the wealth gap. That noble goal is not dissimilar to my own as a dad, to bring a level of financial literacy to my kids and along the way, to kinda democratize the financial world. To do this, I am teaching my kids to write down their financial life.
Yeah, I know it is 2020 and yeah, anyone can log on at any time of day or night, from anywhere, to see balances and recent transactions across any and all accounts, but the upcoming ins and outs will likely not be reflected on any banking app. And this is key, because it is the future — near and far — that’s most important. So I ask my teenagers to write it all down on a spreadsheet as I do or on paper like their grandpop did. I’m a progressive, modern guy, part internet like my digital native children, but there’s real power in seeing the curvature of the road up ahead.
DiversyFund and I are aligned in believing that everyone deserves access to the same wealth-building tools that have long been used by the 1% to create and sustain generational wealth. One of the most basic of those tools, for me, is to chart your financial footpath. I personally know what earnings are coming in and what’s going out for month-to-month obligations like my car payment, groceries, etc. The difference between those two, the ins and outs, is what I want to see at all times. I derive joy in the positive number left behind because I know that’s where the power lies. Having a positive ‘remaining’ balance in my accounts every month affords the freedom to invest, to save, to travel, to support local small businesses, and to extend a helping hand to those in need in my community. And to know that this freedom is up ahead this month and/or next, and again three months down the line, is positively exhilarating. It is not only joyous, it’s every bit as thrilling and smile-inducing as buying yourself those cool pair of jeans you’ve been wanting for a while. This kind of simple financial knowledge is also an anxiety-reducer.
Years ago, I would find ways to give my daughters small dollops of wealth — $20 or $30 here and there — for helping me with assignments. Today, I think I am helping two teens more by giving them something sustainable, something that’ll last longer than a few fistfuls of dollars. I’m talking about multi-faceted joy, finding it in the nooks and crannies of personal finance, and seeing the future right there on the screen or on paper.
DiversyFund is on a mission to empower the 99% to invest like the 1%, so that you might chart a better future for yourself and your family. Sign up today to be entered to win an Apple Watch Series 6!
Here are the details for the contest:
Contest dates: 11/9 – 12/15. The contest closes on 12/15 at 11:59 pm PT.
Must be 18 years old or older to enter
Must be a US resident (excluding Arkansas)
Maximum of 6 entries per person:
For 1 entry: Participants must sign up for a DiversyFund account
For 5 entries: Participants must complete an investment for 5 entries
