Consumer News: Why your child should have a bank account sooner than later

A youth account can give kids hands-on experience with saving, spending, and managing their money

• Opening a bank account early can help children develop healthy money-management habits before they face the financial pressures of adulthood.

• Youth accounts give kids hands-on experience with saving, spending, budgeting, and setting financial goals.

• Parents can turn allowances and birthday money into valuable financial lessons by using strategies like savings matches and the three-jar method.

Opening a bank account might seem like something to worry about when your child is older, but starting early can give kids a head start on learning how money works.

A youth account gives children a chance to practice saving for goals, making spending decisions, and watching their balance grow with parents there to help guide them along the way.

With financial education often lacking in the classroom, opening an account can turn everyday moments like receiving an allowance or birthday money into practical lessons. ConsumerAffairs spoke with banking expert and Maspeth Federal Savings CEO Thomas Rudzewick who explained why introducing kids to money management early can help them develop healthy financial habits that stick with them as they grow.

Getting a headstart

According to Rudzewick, the primary benefit of opening a bank account for your child when theyre young is the headstart on financial stability long before they face the pressures of adulthood.

While there is the benefit of compound interest, which enables the account to earn interest on interest through regular payouts added to the principal balance, that is just the mathematical advantage, he said.

What really happens when parents open a bank account for their child at an early age is that money management ceases to be a theoretical concept and becomes a natural reflex. It shifts the childs perspective from being passively spending and saving to being actively managing their money.

Teaching kids finances

Another major benefit of opening youth bank accounts is the educational opportunity it provides for children and their parents.

I often tell parents to consider the youth account as a classroom for their child to put financial management into practice, Rudzewick said. While many high schools are now making financial education courses mandatory for graduation, classroom theory does not always replicate the experience of managing a bank balance.

A youth account serves as a safe, hands-on lab where children can learn how to track spending and set savings and budget goals. This is where kids are even able to make mistakes with parental oversight to course correct before stakes are high.

Rudzewick explained that at Maspeth Federal Savings, Youth Accounts have tiered access that provide the childs financial journey with milestones that grow in responsibility as they get older.

Lasting money lessons

In opening a bank account for kids, it can also help provide lasting money lessons especially when it comes to things like allowance or gifts. Rudzewick shared his top tips to help parents create long-term money lessons for their kids.

• Move beyond the piggy bank and introduce structure. Try the three-jar method to introduce your kids to the 50/30/20 rule: 50% of their money goes to their needs, 30% goes to their wants, and 20% goes to their savings. This can even be done using their banks digital tools. This teaches budgeting and how to balance where their money goes.

• Treat savings like a 401(k). For every dollar that they save towards a major purchase, the parent agrees to match them dollar-for-dollar. This reinforces the discipline of long-term planning. When a child can visually see their goals getting closer or further away based on their spending, the lesson becomes tactile.

I would remind parents that you dont need a degree in finance to raise a financially smart kid, Rudzewick said. Use the resources your financial institution provides the seminars, digital tools, and safe accounts.

Also remove the taboo around talking about money in the home. Talk openly with your kids about everyday decisions, like choosing a generic brand at the grocery store to save money or putting off an impulse purchase to stay on budget. The most powerful thing a parent can do is model good behavior.