Category Archives: Financial Literacy and Finances for Children and Teens

ID Theft Risks That Lurk in Your Child’s Backpack

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Girl walking away from School Bus while texting on her phoneWhile you’re out searching for the perfect back-to-school backpack for your child, the more important consideration other than style, size, and color should be — what can happen if a dishonest person gets a hold of it? The things your child carries in his or her backpack can become a huge financial headache if they fall into the wrong hands.

With identity-related crimes at historic levels, the odds are better than ever that a dishonest person will know the basics of taking advantage of the kinds of personally identifiable information, sensitive data (like passwords and credit card numbers), and the many other keys to your household economy that can lurk in your child’s backpack.

Here’s a short list of what a relatively creative thief might find in your child’s backpack, and what you can do to prevent the worst from happening.

1. A Smartphone

While obvious to you (hopefully), does your child understand the serious potential for disaster that a walk-about smartphone can bring to your doorstep?

It can be as simple as a scammer dialing 611 and ordering new services. Chances are good that there’s enough information in your child’s backpack for a motivated thief to get your name and thus the keys to your telephonic kingdom.

But there are other identity indignities that can be done. Many people store user name and password information on the Notes app of their phones. The Notes may contain other informational cracks and crevices as well and open up unsuspecting third parties — relatives and friends — to scams. Email scams, grandparent scams, an iTunes or apps shopping spree, malware installation — so many tidbits to exploit.

What to do: Talk to your kids about the dangers of an unsecured phone and discuss basic data storage details with them — like what information shouldn’t be on their phones. Is the phone locked with a passcode? It should be! Also have them set strong (think creatively alpha-numeric) passwords, and a Find Me app to erase the contents should the device fall into the wrong hands.

2. Their Laptop

You don’t need to be a movie buff to know that a computer is a dangerous thing in the wrong hands. Most issues associated with a lost phone come to bear here as well. Emails can be sent to relatives or strangers in the service of stealing money or wreaking havoc.

Beyond the irresistible cornucopia of files that may well be saved on the device, email is a treasure trove of personally identifiable information — everything from credit card numbers to more data like name, address, email addresses and birthdays — pieces of a puzzle that can be assembled to present a believable story to a customer service representative and then steal valuable goods and services, or used as a fly trap to accumulate even more personally identifiable information.

Does your child have access to your Netflix account? How about Amazon or iTunes? Where else have they gone in cyberspace that might have their information — or yours? Open social media sites that are set to login automatically afford a wide vista of scamming opportunities too.

What to do: Make sure your child gets into the habit of logging out of all their online accounts, and that they don’t store sensitive information on their laptops. Talk to them about the wisdom of not saving user ID and password information, and how to make a good one. Finally, have your child set a password — shared with you — to protect their device against the wrong person accessing it.

3. Keys and Name Tags

So, this is pretty straightforward: If your child uses a karabiner to attach his or her keys to their backpack, you’ve got a potential robbery waiting to happen.

Additionally, there are apps that can allow a fraudster (as well as a person who might want to use the app to avoid unnecessary inconvenience) to make a copy of a key that a locksmith can duplicate.

What to do: Tell your child to keep the keys to your home in their pocket rather than on their back.

4. Gaming Device

Playstation Vita is a popular gaming device — and not the only device that could cause you a world of woe should it fall into the wrong hands — but we’ll single it out for the sake of illustration.

The good news: Your personally identifiable information is safe even if someone grabs the device, because it’s password-protected and associated with your gamer’s access to the network.

That doesn’t mean that a bad player can’t do some damage. First, they can play games and wreck your child’s sterling reputation in the community. Worse: Whoever has that device can buy games and run up a hefty bill. One-click purchased games are something any malicious third party can rack up in the way of a very expensive just-because crime.

What to do: Have your child set a passcode for access to the device and make sure they share it with you.

When it comes to data security, best practices are universal. It’s your job to pass on what your kids need to know to stay safe and keep your family out of the crosshairs of ID theft.

Article Source: Adam Levin for Credit.com, http://www.today.com/parents/identity-theft-risks-lurk-your-kids-backpack-1D80042370

How to Plan for Your Child’s Financial Future

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Piggybank family isolatedIn this economy and time period, every parent shares a mutual fear. You think to yourself, “What if my son or daughter isn’t financially stable in their lifetime?” You may be nervous that your child will not be able to pay off college loans or purchase a home when they are older. You might also be worried that your child will struggle to meet car payments, or that they won’t be able to save up money in case of emergencies or for when they grow older.

Read the tips below to learn how you can relieve your fears and help prepare your children for their financial future.

  • Teach financial responsibility. It’s natural to fear that your children will take on too much debt or be unprepared for financial emergencies when they reach adulthood. But you don’t have to wait until they make a mistake to prepare them to be financially responsible. It’s important to remember that it’s never too early to start talking to kids about money and saving. When your kids are young, you’ll want to start with simple conversations about money (sharing tips about your purchase decisions with them when you shop), and as they get older introducing more complex money matters (such as the value of having an emergency fund and saving for unexpected events).
  • Use an allowance as an educational tool. An allowance is an ideal way to teach about responsible spending and saving. Provide your children with the opportunity to save and spend their allowance as they please (with some guidance). This flexibility will allow them to learn early on that spending money as fast as they earn it can have consequences. Depending on the age and maturity of your child, you may choose to share with them a financial mistake you made in the past and how you recovered from it.
  • Plan for college. As college tuition increases, many parents worry about how their children will afford to attend, or how you as a parent can possibly save enough to pay for your child’s college education. As parents, consider beginning to save into a 529 Plan early in your child’s life. When it comes time to make college decisions, help your child evaluate the tuition and other college expenses (travel home, club dues, entertainment costs, etc.) for each college he or she is considering. Make sure to educate yourself on current student loan lending practices and options and help your child determine a realistic amount of student loan debt he or she can take on if necessary.
  • Prepare for life’s big purchases. Even for young adults with a responsible mindset, a lack of financial knowledge can be detrimental for large purchases like a car or home. As a parent, you can offset this concern by being open to discuss these things as your child grows older and begins managing their own money.
  • Reframe your money mindset. Changing the way you think about money can go a long way to alleviating your financial fears for your children and, at the same time, help your children learn to make smart financial decisions. The real question you should ask isn’t, “Can we afford this?” but rather, “Do we need this, and if so, is this the best deal we can get on it, and should we wait and buy it when we have saved the money for it?” These may seem like small differences, but they aren’t. How our children think about money will make a huge difference in their ability to wisely manage it and consequentially will have a huge impact on their quality of life.

Visit First Financial’s website resources tab to view a list of free financial calculators and resources that you and your children can utilize to help save for college and future big ticket purchases like a car, home, and how to save money.

How to Get Your Child Financially Prepared for College

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college-students-awesomeAfter high school graduation, your teen will probably be spending the summer gathering dorm necessities, picking classes and hunting for the cheapest textbooks.

One major point of focus should also be signing up for the right student financial accounts, specifically checking accounts and credit cards. With so many choices, it can be confusing for parents and students, but there are simple approaches to getting college-bound kids financially prepared.

Pick the Right Checking Account

When looking for a checking account, parents may be quick to sign their children up to their own banks or to a major bank close to home. However, that approach may not be the best for the college student.

Since college students may need cash for spontaneous occasions, it is important to have an in-network ATM at or near the college campus. Constant cash withdrawals at out-of-network ATMs can amount to plenty of fees. At the 10 largest U.S. banks, the average out-of-network ATM fee is $2.45. Furthermore, the operator of the out-of-network ATM has the right to impose a surcharge, which typically ranges from $2 to $3.

Besides location convenience, parents also have to consider their ability to fund their kid’s accounts. Parents and students should research which financial institutions are around campus and near home to find the one with a student checking account that would allow them to stay financially connected. Parents, you should also make sure that the financial institution you choose has instant transfers during the times you have to transfer money into your child’s account electronically – you don’t want a 1-2 day delay period.

First Financial’s has a great Student Checking Account available for 14 to 23 year old students!*

Sign Up for the Right Credit Card

Credit cards are less attainable by college students since the Credit Card Act of 2009 took effect, requiring anyone under age 21 to provide proof of reliable income to qualify for a card. If a student can qualify for a credit card on his or her own, it is crucial to evaluate spending and repayment habits to maximize any rewards and minimize interest paid.

For instance, a student who will be driving around campus may prefer to get a credit card that offers rewards on gas purchases. Or if a student doesn’t expect to be able to pay off their balances every month, he or she may opt for a card that doesn’t have rewards but carries a lower interest rate.

The more likely situation would involve parents adding their children as authorized users on an existing credit card account. Parents can limit how much their children can spend on their authorized cards, and when the occasion calls for it, they can raise or reduce the limits accordingly. As authorized card users, students can also start building their credit profiles, which can increase their chances of qualifying for credit cards and loans in the future.

Keep an Open Line of Communication

Do your children know what to do in the case of a financial emergency? College students may encounter dilemmas that cannot be solved with the financial means available to them.

Parents should keep an open line of communication that would allow their children to contact them in the event of financial distress, regardless of how bad the situation may be. It’s important for parents to continue providing financial and emotional support, so their kids can focus on the most important aspect of college: their education.

Click here to view the article source courtesy of Simon Zhen of US News.

*A $5 deposit in a base savings account is required for credit union membership prior to opening any other account. All personal memberships are part of the Rewards First program and a $5 per month non-participation fee is charged to the base savings account for memberships not meeting the minimum requirements of the program. Click here to view full Rewards First program details. Accounts for children age 13 and under are excluded from this program. 

Jackson Memorial Students Get Taste of Financial Reality

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Tri-Town News article by Andrew Martins:

DSCN0228Financial independence can be a scary thing for young adults who are beginning to make their own way in life after graduating from high school or college. Unexpected costs arise, debt can become bloated, and temptations to spend frivolously crop up every day.

For a group of freshmen at Jackson Memorial High School, the sobering reality of money and adulthood was put on display during an event dubbed the Financial Reality Fair.

“The goal of the fair is to teach the kids the value of money and how to manage their money when they leave high school,” said Issa Stephan, First Financial Federal Credit Union president and CEO. “It is very crucial these days to be financially savvy, and there is a lot of temptation out there.”

Financial responsibility is a subject that Stephan believes should have a bigger focus in public schools. He cited the economic downturn that began in 2008 as a prime example for why such responsibility is imperative for the future.

“I think that since 2008, people are more conscious about money,” he said.

On Jan. 8, students tackled financial issues in a hands-on manner without potentially destroying their credit rating.

“These days, it is easy to get in trouble,” Stephan said. “Twenty years ago, you had to drive to the mall and take your cash to spend it. Now you can be sitting in your bed, clicking yourself away into financial trouble” on a computer.

The idea for the fair, according to First Financial Marketing Manager Jessica Revoir, was based on similar events held throughout the state by the New Jersey Credit Union League Foundation, which sponsored the Jackson Memorial High School event.

DSCN0230Students were initially instructed to choose a career. After each student selected a job, that career’s starting salary after taxes was used as the baseline for a monthly budget. The young adults were informed that some expenses were required, including food, clothes and rent; and some expenses were not required, including gym memberships and vacations.

Stephan said the point was to illustrate the importance of determining what is needed and what is not needed.

“If you move out [of your parents’ home], you have to pay rent and insurance, but people usually get in trouble with what I call ‘variable expenses,’ ” he said. “A lot of people see a smartphone as a fixed cost … but it is not. There are ways to make even a necessity much more affordable in the long run. If you shield the students from reality, they fall.”

Stephan said students were led astray on purpose as a means of letting them see the difference between what they want and what they need.

At the transportation booth, for example, a binder was purposely left open at a page featuring luxury cars and sports cars for purchase, rather than being left open at a page with less expensive vehicles or public transportation.

“We are trying to teach these kids that if they let themselves be manipulated financially when they get older, they can get into some serious trouble,” First Financial Investment and Retirement Center Coordinator Samantha Schertz said.

To Lisa Scott, who teaches honors economics and financial literacy, the fair provided an opportunity for her students to take a more tactile approach to learning the importance of finances.

“This really is experiential learning for our kids because, to them, the class is just the textbook and something they need to graduate, but then they come here and realize they need this to live and get through adulthood,” Scott said.

The fair was a sobering realization that made freshman Claudia Besse take a moment to consider her future.

“I learned that I am very grateful for my parents, for one,” Claudia said. “I never realized that your gross pay is not your take-home pay and that there are so many expenses. Cars are so expensive.”

Scott said those realizations are fueled not only because of the way that financial education is traditionally handled in school, but also because some parents provide everything for their children.

DSCN0223“What I am hearing as the kids go through the fair is they ask, ‘Does that cost that?’ A lot of kids don’t have to pay for the things they enjoy right now … so for some kids, this is a revelation,” Scott said.

Stephan said he and his staff hope the students will take what they learned at the event and apply it to their lives.

“I saw some kids calculating and trying to make smart decisions, and I saw others just not caring as much. And that, in a way, reflects society,” he said. “We need to try to catch people before they get into financial trouble.”

Jackson Memorial High School Students Get Schooled in Money Management

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Asbury Park Press Article by Amanda Ogelsby:

Screen shot 2014-01-22 at 1.25.08 PM

How do you teach teens how much it really costs to live?

JACKSON, NJ — Fourteen-year-old Aylin Torenli of Jackson spent a recent Wednesday morning calculating whether the salary of a dental hygienist would be enough to afford her the finer things of life: a smart phone, upscale furniture, television.

“I didn’t realize how expensive it was,” Torenli said of life’s luxuries that quickly add up. The freshman joined more than 200 Jackson Memorial High School students at a Financial Reality Fair Wednesday that was designed to give teenagers the foundations for a lifetime of successful money management.

After picking a “career” and its related income, students visited various stations where they chose cellphone plans and car payments, looked at housing costs, and calculated quality-of-life expenses like dining out and spa treatments.

“You understand how hard it is to be in the financial world,” Torenli said after meeting with a financial adviser to review her budget. “I give a lot of credit to my parents now.”

Under New Jersey law, public school students must learn about money management, insurance, saving and investing, as well as credit and debt management, beginning by fourth grade.

Public high school students are required by state law to take 2.5 credits of financial literacy and economics to graduate, according to the state Department of Education. That law went into effect in the 2010-11 school year, beginning with then ninth-graders.

The 2008 recession — when financial markets around the world fell following a collapse of the U.S. housing market — triggered the need for such educational programs, said Issa E. Stephan, president of First Financial in Wall, which helped to organize the event along with the New Jersey Credit League Foundation.

“Our mission for the fair is to help the students understand the value of money and how to manage their money, so as they grow as an adult, they’ll be more financially responsible,” Stephan said.

In a country loaded with easy temptations to spend, financial literacy is crucial, he said.

At the spinning “Reality Wheel,” students took a risk at budget breakers like car repairs and accidents.

“We just want to give them a little wake-up call,” said Janice Anderson of First Financial, who talked to students about managing monthly food budgets.

Freshman Tom Del Monte, 15, said the Financial Fair helped him better understand the importance of securing a good job after high school. The Jackson freshman said he was shocked by the high prices of cellphones and food.

“I finally understand the reality of what we’re learning in class,” he said. “I didn’t realize what my parents pay.”

“We hope this (fair) leads to better consumers,” said Lisa Scott, a business, finance and economics teacher at Jackson Memorial High School.

She added: “They’re coming face-to-face with the reality of whether or not that (job) will buy them all the things that they think they’re going to have when they are young adults out on their own for the first time. It is a rude awakening for some of them.”

The Basics: Student Checking

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Students with laptop computerMany young adults enter the “real world” lacking the proper knowledge in financial literacy. The following information will assist with setting up and understanding the features and benefits of student checking accounts more clearly.

What Can a Checking Account do for You?

A checking account offers easy accessibility to your money anytime, anywhere and it also helps keep your cash secure – often times through use of a debit card. A debit card is a card that grants you electronic access to the money in your account, which is often referred to as a check card. You may also receive checks to make purchases or pay bills from your checking account. This makes it easier to spend and receive money without carrying cash. Checking accounts are also important for building credit, which you will need to make major purchases such as a car or a house in the future.

A great checking account option for students is Student Checking. The perks of Student Checking accounts vary among financial institutions, but many include free checks, free ATM usage, and better loan rates.

Preparation

Before opening a checking account, make sure you are prepared. Here are a few tips to remember when you begin the process:

  • Get all of your personal documents together. You will have to prove that you are who you say you are, to open an account. Make sure you have the proper identification such as a driver’s license, photo I.D. card, and Social Security card.
  • Know what services your credit union or financial institution offers. Does the institution provide online banking and bill pay? What fees (if any) does the account charge?
  • Look for branch and ATM locations. When choosing a financial institution, it’s a good idea to check for locations near your home, job, or school. It’s also a good idea to consider the locations and availability of their ATMs.
  • Be able to identify fraud. Many Americans have been exposed to financial scams as of late, and even more are unable to identify classic red flags. Common fraud attempts include propositions for “educational” investment meetings, or being offered money in exchange for paying a fee or making an initial deposit. Use common sense and be cautious around offers that seem too good to be true.

First Financial offers Student Checking to students who live, work, worship, or attend school in Monmouth or Ocean County, ages 14-23.*

The account includes the following features and benefits:

  • A free first box of checks and an allowance of the first mistake being free+
  • Free phone transfers to the account by parents
  • No per-check charges
  • No minimum balance requirements
  • No monthly service charge for having the account
  • A Debit Card issued instantly in one of our Monmouth or Ocean County      branches.
  • Free Online Banking with Bill Pay
  • Unlimited in-branch transactions

Remember that it is important to establish yourself financially as a student. After your schooling is finished, you will begin your search for a career. Understanding your account and personal finance can only help you when you begin this independent stage of life, and First Financial is here to help you every step of the way!

*A $5 deposit in a base savings account is required for credit union membership prior to opening any other account. All personal memberships are part of the Rewards First program and a $5 per month non-participation fee is charged to the base savings account for memberships not meeting the minimum requirements of the program. Click here to view full Rewards First program details. Accounts for children age 13 and under are excluded from this program.

+ Call or visit a branch to request refund of the first fee incurred. We must receive request within 90 days of date fee is charged in order to be eligible for refund. The eligible fees are NSF, Overdraft, and Courtesy Pay fees.