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Financial Literacy for the Next Generation: Teaching Kids and Teens About Money

Financial Literacy for the Next Generation: Teaching Kids and Teens About Money

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 In episode 19 of Season 2 of Novem Nexus: Navigating Your Financial Narrative, host Greg Wagner explores how we can raise financially literate children in a world that often teaches them everything except how money works. Greg starts by recalling the first thing he bought with his own money—a used mountain bike—and how such moments lay the groundwork for our lifelong relationship with finances. Today, kids can navigate an iPad before they can tie their shoes, yet many graduate high school without understanding interest, 401(k)s, or how to build an emergency fund—not due to inability, but because no one is teaching them.
Greg emphasizes that financial identity is formed primarily at home. Children absorb far more from watching their parents’ day-to-day habits than from anything explicitly told to them. They notice the tension when bills are discussed, the hesitation before swiping a card, and these moments silently shape their beliefs. Instead of secrecy or shame, Greg encourages parents to explain decisions openly—like skipping dinner out to save for vacation—and to share not just successes but also mistakes. This builds trust and helps children see money as a reflection of values, not just a means to display status.
He then turns to schools, noting a staggering disconnect: despite more than 12,000 hours in classrooms from kindergarten through high school, most students never receive meaningful personal finance education. Only a handful of states require dedicated courses, and even then, many teachers lack financial training. As a result, we graduate kids into a complex world of compound interest, student loans, and financial algorithms without equipping them to navigate it. Greg argues this isn’t just an educational gap—it’s a moral one.
Without guidance, kids learn about money from marketers, credit card companies, and influencers, who link self-worth to luxury and consumption. Social media only amplifies this, feeding children targeted campaigns that exploit insecurities. Greg asserts that true financial literacy must go beyond knowing what a Roth IRA is; it requires understanding personal values, questioning societal scripts, and resisting impulsive spending driven by clever algorithms.
Ultimately, Greg argues that our goal isn’t to raise mini CFOs, but thoughtful humans who can delay gratification, navigate financial decisions with clarity, and view money as stewardship. This literacy starts around the dinner table and in daily choices—modeling patience, restraint, and honesty, rather than outsourcing these lessons to apps, schools, or influencers.

Disclosures:
Greg Wagner is an Investment Adviser Representative with Novem Group, an SEC-Registered Investment Adviser firm. All opinions expressed by Greg Wagner or any guests are solely their own and do not reflect the views of Novem Group. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and does not constitute tax, investment, or other financial advice, and is not an endorsement of any securities discussed. Listeners should not rely on it for their financial decisions.
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