The Manitoba Securities Commission Launches Innovative Guide To Common Sense Money Management for Youth
January 5, 2009- Winnipeg, Manitoba- Now more than ever, parents need to have “the talk” with kids about managing money. This will be a lot easier with the release of Make it Count: A Parent’s Guide to Youth Money Management. Developed by The Manitoba Securities Commission (MSC), the interactive program provides activities and tips for parents using everyday situations like errands as the basis for common sense discussions about youth money management.
With the increasing level of consumer debt, talking about money with kids is more important than ever before, says Len Terlinski, Investigator with MSC. “Credit card companies start targeting teens as soon as they turn 16 and both parents and children need to be prepared. By the time youth reach their twenties some of them have two or three credit cards, student loans and lines of credit,”
Mr. Terlinski indicates. To prevent children from getting on a cycle of debt, parents and their kids need to have candid discussions about saving and family budgeting from an early age. Money matters are not something to be ashamed of; keeping a budget should be a shared, open family responsibility.
Ainsley Cunningham, Education and Information Coordinator with MSC knows parents don’t have the time to sit down with their kids everyday for hours to teach them the ins and outs of money management. “Make it Count really focuses on making money management simple, by incorporating activities and tips into real everyday situations. All of a sudden, a trip to the supermarket becomes a lesson in budgeting, or a drive in the car becomes a quick lesson on the cost of transportation. It is an on-the-go program, meant to work for parents in different situations throughout the year,” she says. Cunningham concludes, “We have worked hard to get this program out to the public and are really excited to get it into parent’s hands.”
Information about ordering free copies of Make it Count: A Parent’s Guide to Youth Money Management is available at
MakeitCountOnline.ca. The program is available in English and French.
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About The Manitoba Securities Commission
The Manitoba Securities Commission is a special operating agency of the Government of Manitoba that protects investors through educational programming and promotes fair and efficient capital markets throughout the province.
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