Introduction

If you think of the pitfalls you may have experienced in your youth – bewilderment over savings plans, the endless lack of fluidity, anxiety about the future – you would most assuredly never wish that same level of stress upon your children. Now that you are a parent or a mentor, a grandparent or a coach, a teacher or an older kid – and have survived the ordeals of excessive youth yourself – you have an absolutely golden opportunity to ensure that the people you love need not walk those same treacherous steps. Giving a son, a daughter, a mentee a sound plan that begins to create independence is one of the best ways to demonstrate that person’s worth – and what is parenting or mentoring if not the art of instilling self-esteem? This nuts’n bolts chapter on establishing sound and long-lasting financial integrity showcases comments by one of our esteemed partners, Ted Beck, President and CEO of the National Endowment for Financial Education, a high-caliber organization that has produced a Web site, developed programs, and created portals that address this most vital of tools for successful adolescent development. Invaluable guidelines are outlined, suggested and discussed, including early investing, sober use of credit cards, proper shepherding of checking accounts, insurance options, and savings plans.