Greenlight Savings: The new way to teach your kids the value of saving money

The money conversation. It can be one of the hardest conversations we have with our kids (let’s be real: it can be one of the hardest conversations we have with anyone). But it’s also one of the most important conversations we have to have as parents.

Kids aren’t born understanding money. Ask any parent and they’ll tell you a hilarious story about the time their kid thought banks just gave money away or that cashiers did nothing more than approve your selections. It’s cute, but — as much as we want to preserve our kids’ innocence — it’s unsustainable and potentially dangerous.

Understanding money — how it can grow, how it can be used, how it can disappear — is important to every child’s development. There are tons of tricks you can use to get them to learn, but whether or not they’re effective is up for debate. At Greenlight, we’re thinking beyond giving your kids a jar and asking them to count their pennies; we’re thinking about a real way to teach kids about money.

That’s why we’ve developed Greenlight Savings Goals. It’s an educational tool that allows kids to earn interest and save their money. Your kids will be able to watch their money fluctuate as they earn interest, and spend it (with your permission) helping them understand how saving money can pay off in the long run.

isn’t a typical savings account. It’s a parent-managed tool that teaches kids the value of saving money, but also how interest — and patience — pays off. Instead of earning the tiny amounts of interest typical savings accounts offer, parents can set and pay higher interest rates so their kids can actually see their money grow.

Here’s how it works:

1. From your Greenlight Parent’s Dashboard, you can add money to the Savings category on your child’s Greenlight card. It works the same way as adding cash to any Greenlight category, and we’ve already added it as an option so you’re ready to go.

2. Once you’ve added money, you’ll be able to set the interest rate. Pick a rate you’re comfortable with, since you’ll be paying that interest.

3. We automate the process. Your child’s Greenlight Savings will earn interest once a month and it will be drawn from your Greenlight Parent’s Wallet automatically.

4. You can add or move money anytime, right from your Parent’s Dashboard just as you would for any other category on their Greenlight card. And your kids can move their money too: they can put money in whenever they want, but need your approval to move it out.

5. The savings grow, and your kids start to understand how saving can help them set and meet spending goals over the long term.

Since kids don’t typically deal in large sums of money, regular savings accounts with small interest rates don’t show real growth. But since you can set higher interest rates, Greenlight Savings shows kids how interest works over time, so they can plan how to use their money down the line. It also teaches them the value of patience and planning: while they may want to buy the latest online game or must-have toy immediately, they’ll come to understand that by waiting a bit, they’ll have even more money available – for that toy and maybe a snack or two, also.

And since it’s all parent-controlled, you’ll have oversight into what your kids are doing so that you’re always prepared for that dreaded money conversation. Only now, you can rest assured that it will be pleasant, meaningful, and productive.

Equip your kids for financial success today with Greenlight. If you’re already a Greenlight customer, you can get started with Savings Goals at no extra cost. And if you’re not, signing up is easy. Simply visit us here and tap download to get our app and begin registration.

(photo courtesy © GotCredit cc2.0)