Hello Everyone! As the great Warren Buffet once said in an interview, “I started investing at age 11 but still thought it to be late entering into the investment arena.” Taking a cue from this, shouldn’t you start mentoring your kids on the A-B-C of Investing? Yes, we try to teach them the values of saving but what about the values of investing?
Let us have a look at these 5 things to teach your kids about investing at an early age.
Step #1: Instil a good habit of saving & investing
We all agree that investment is a habit and not a choice, so if your kids are old enough to know how ‘Money’ can them buy something they want, this is the right age to teach them about savings and investments. Start with a simple exercise of tracking and managing pocket money. Introduce the basic concept of budgeting by creating blocks for expenses like travel, food etc. and another block for savings and investment on a regular basis. Once these blocks are maintained then it is time for the next step, goal setting.
Step #2: Develop the importance of setting small financial goals.
Along with the block of saved money, children often get money as gifts on various social occasions such as birthdays or when relatives or family friends come visiting. Children should be encouraged to set small financial goals to help them acquire something they want. Like a bicycle, toy etc. or to do something that they would want to do like playing arena games at the mall. This will help them slowly structure and mould their thought process towards their goal, which is the next step.
Step #3: Planning is how to achieve set goals
Planning is the main essence of achieving any goal. Even to achieve a simple goal of ‘reaching school on time’, needs planning. A reverse-time calculation of travel time, time taken for having breakfast, time taken for getting ready etc. will require allocating of time per activity to reach on time. Similarly to achieve their small financial goals there has to be a plan which can only be achieved one step at a time. Now to take one step at a time requires one to develop patience which being the next and important step.
Step #4: How Developing Patience helps in the long run.
Patience – The ability to wait for a relatively reasonable amount of time. Investment and patience always go hand-in-hand and probably the hardest thing to teach & develop amongst children. Encourage them by breaking down their investment journey into milestones. Also initially reward them additionally on achieving every milestone but also slowly reduce the same with time. Always emphasise on the fact that the wait is always worth it as it means the investor will always have much more than what they had initially.
Step #5: Helping envision a long term approach for a secure future
Finally, as children develop the habit of savings and investments, when they grow up to become young adults, talk to them about visualising life goals. This can be based on life events from their current age till their retirement stage. These events could be higher education, foreign education, marriage, their first car or home, acquiring jewellery etc. All of this would require a longer term and much larger amounts. But if planned adequately in advance all can be achieved with ease.
These are 5 things you should teach your kids about investing at an early age. We hope you have learnt something new today, as it is our constant endeavour at Motilal Oswal to educate & make an ‘investor’ a ‘sound investor’! Happy Investing!
At the end of the video voice over of following:
1) Mutual Fund investments are subject to market risks, read all scheme related documents carefully before making any financial and/or investment decision or transaction.
2) Investor education Initiative by Motilal Oswal Mutual Fund
Disclaimers/Footnotes:
• All investors have to go through a one-time KYC (Know Your Customer) process. For further details on KYC, Change of address, phone number, bank details etc. list of SEBI registered Mutual Funds and redressal of complaints including details about SEBI SCORES portal, visit link https://www.motilaloswalmf.com//New_Page/KYC-and-Redressal-of-Complaints/9.
• Investors should invest only with SEBI registered Mutual Funds details of which can be verified on the SEBI website under “SEBI Intermediaries/ Market Infrastructure Institutions”.
• Mutual Fund investments are subject to market risks, read all scheme related documents carefully before making any financial and/or investment decision or transaction.
• An Investor education Initiative by Motilal Oswal Mutual Fund
