Parenting: Smart Money Kids

The Value of Early Financial Literacy

BY CHRISTY SHULTS

“Can you Venmo me? Or CashApp, Paypal, Zelle, I’m pretty sure I have Facebook Pay too.” Sound familiar? Who writes checks anymore or carries cash?

Long gone are the days of giving your kid a $20 to go out. Admittedly paying allowance has been much easier since March 2020 when social outings came to a halt. All I have to do is transfer my kids’ budget to their savings accounts. It could be fun to pay them cash and then charge them to watch a movie in the living room and eat popcorn. But things are starting to open back up, and they want their independence.

My daughter recently got a job that wasn’t babysitting. So an actual paycheck, every two weeks! Of course, in this modern world we live in, she has options for payment: Check, Venmo or PayPal. All of these balances can be transferred to a checking account; however, she isn’t 18, and I’m not sure I want to share my account with her, no matter how responsible she may be.

What to do? Thankfully, there are a ton of options out there, including major debit cards for kids and teens!

Most of these cards offer your child the opportunity to earn money by doing chores that you can set with various payrates.

Whatever you choose, teaching your children the value of budgeting and saving at a young age will carry with them through their adulthood. I have to say that I love the options for “Giving” on most of the cards below. What a wonderful world to live in where we are taught the value of charity done with a genuine heart starting in our youth. Good luck with your money adventures!

DEBIT CARDS:

Greenlight

CARD TYPE: Mastercard MONTHLY FEES: $4.99 CARD PURCHASE: $0 ATM FEES: $0

PROS

• Saving and Investing Tools • Minimum Fees • Paycheck Deposits

CONS

Can’t receive payments from Apple Cash, PayPal, Venmo or the US government.

WHY WE LOVE IT

This card lets you set up a chore list kids can work on to earn money and even set a goal to work towards. You can schedule allowance deposits. You add money instantly through the app. You will receive notifications of transactions.

Famzoo

CARD TYPE: Mastercard MONTHLY FEES: $5.99 CARD PURCHASE: $2 ATM FEES: $0

PROS

• Kids can request money from you via the app. • Split into three categories: Saving, Spending, and Giving • No foreign transaction fees for those traveling abroad

CONS

• Fee for 5+ cards • Limited Cash Deposit - You have to add through GreenDot or Mastercard rePower, which costs money.

WHY WE LOVE IT

“With FamZoo, parents are “bankers,” and their children are account holders. Parents can establish a payroll for their kids, loan money, set up automatic allowances, and even pay interest on savings.” -apyguy.com

Whatever you choose, teaching your children the value of budgeting and saving at a young age will carry with them through their adulthood. Good luck with your money adventures!

Busy Kid

CARD TYPE: Visa MONTHLY FEES: $1.67 CARD PURCHASE: $0 ATM FEES: $0

PROS

• Lowest cost - only $19.99 per year • Split into three categories: Saving, Spending, and Giving • Parental Control on movement between categories

CONS

• One free card included. Any additional will cost $7.99 per card • No Parental control on spending category

WHY WE LOVE IT

The Busy Kid is the most cost-effective for parents with multiple kids. It also teaches kids how to budget. You can automate their allowance.

Copper

CARD TYPE: Mastercard MONTHLY FEES: $0 CARD PURCHASE: $0 ATM FEES: $0

PROS

• No Fees • Teaches kids how to be mindful of their money habits, even offers quizzes that earn them money. • Kids can create their own budget categories

CONS

Some retailers may charge up to $4.95 to deposit money

WHY WE LOVE IT

This account is free to use because it is linked to a checking account. It has interactive quizzes and articles that teach your child financial literacy. You can schedule recurring transfers and instantly deposit cash into their account.

Capital One MONEY Teen Checking

CARD TYPE: Visa or Mastercard

MONTHLY FEES: $0 CARD PURCHASE: $0 ATM FEES: $0

PROS

• 0.1% APY • Categorize Cash • Expansive ATM Access

CONS

No Chores or Allowance

WHY WE LOVE IT

This card is for the teen who is earning their own money and has already built a financial knowledge base.

Go Henry

CARD TYPE: Mastercard MONTHLY FEES: $3.99 CARD PURCHASE: $0 ATM FEES: $1.50

PROS

• Free Trial • Parental Controls • Custom Chores

CONS

• Monthly Fees • The only way to add cash is with a connected debit card • Can only load $500 a day

WHY WE LOVE IT

This card is all about customization: custom chores, custom categories, and custom images on the card.

LINKED CARDS TO MONEY APPS Cash App Debit Card

CARD TYPE: Visa MONTHLY FEES: $0 CARD PURCHASE: $0 ATM FEES: $0 • Pros • Add Money On Demand • Getting Paid is Easy • The card can be temporarily frozen via the app

CONS

• No Chores or Allowance • No Categories

WHY WE LOVE IT

There are no fees, and you can add money instantly via the app. Quickly transfer to a separate savings account.

Venmo Debt Card

CARD TYPE: Visa MONTHLY FEES: $0 CARD PURCHASE: $0 ATM FEES: $0

PROS

• Getting Paid is Easy • The card can be temporarily frozen via the app

CONS

• No Chores or Allowance • No Categories

WHY WE LOVE IT

There are no fees, and you can add money instantly via the app. Quickly transfer to a separate savings account.

Apple Pay

CARD TYPE: Visa MONTHLY FEES: $0 CARD PURCHASE: $0 ATM FEES: $0

PROS

Transfer Money

CONS

• No Chores or Allowance • No Categories • Only Available on iOS