I sat through four years of high school financial literacy.
They taught me how to balance a checkbook.
They taught me why credit cards are dangerous.
They taught me that a 401k is the responsible way to save for retirement.
They never once mentioned investing.
They never explained inflation.
They never talked about building wealth—only managing debt. Now I teach kids about money the way I wish someone had taught me.
And honestly, that’s not financial education.
That’s debt management with a diploma.
Now I’m raising four kids—two teenagers and two younger ones—and I’m teaching them what schools don’t teach kids about money.
Not because I have it all figured out.
Because I had to figure it out myself, and I don’t want them starting from zero like I did.
What Schools Actually Teach (And What They Don’t)
If you want to teach kids about money that actually builds wealth, schools aren’t going to help you.
Most financial literacy programs focus on:
- How to write a check (outdated)
- How to avoid credit card debt (fear-based)
- Why you should contribute to a 401k (oversimplified)
- How to make a budget (useful, but incomplete)
That’s not nothing.
But it’s also not enough.
Because nowhere in that curriculum is:
- How to invest
- How to make money work for you
- How taxes change over time
- How inflation erodes purchasing power
- How to use credit strategically
- How to generate passive income
Schools teach you how to be a good employee and a responsible borrower.
They don’t teach you how to build wealth.
The 401k Problem Nobody Talks About
Here’s where I lose people.
I don’t prioritize maxing out a 401k—and when I tell people that, they immediately say:
“But you don’t have to pay taxes on it.”
Yes, you do.
You just pay them later.
When you’re 65.
When you finally get to withdraw.
When you have zero control over what tax rates look like.
Think about it:
- You know what taxes are today
- You have no idea what they’ll be in 40 years
- You’re locking your money away with the assumption that future-you will somehow benefit
And even if tax rates stay the same, you’ve traded flexibility now for access later.
That’s not a win.
That’s a time trap.
I’d rather pay taxes on money I control today and invest it in ways that generate cash flow now—not decades from now.
That’s why I focus on building income streams that pay me now—not 40 years from now. Read how I use DeFi to generate weekly cash flow.
What I’m Teaching My Teenagers About Money
Here’s how I teach kids about money without making it feel like a lecture.
My 13 and 15-year-olds are at the age where money starts feeling real.
So here’s what we actually talk about:
How I teach kids about money: investing beats saving
I don’t tell them to save every dollar.
I tell them to invest every dollar they don’t need right now.
Savings accounts lose to inflation.
Investing compounds.
We talk about:
- Index funds that grow steadily over time
- Covered call ETFs that pay monthly income
- Why consistent cash flow matters more than hoping a stock 10x’s
I’m not teaching them to chase growth stocks.
I’m teaching them to build systems that pay them—consistently. According to research from Vanguard, long-term index investing has historically outperformed active stock picking for most investors.
This ties into how we run our home—less about strict rules, more about predictable systems. Here’s why structure matters more than rules in our family.
Inflation is invisible theft
Most kids think a dollar is a dollar.
I explain it differently:
If inflation is 3% per year, that $100 you saved is worth $97 next year—without you spending a dime.
That changes how they see money. The Federal Reserve tracks inflation data, and over the past decade, it’s consistently eroded purchasing power faster than savings account interest rates can keep up.
Suddenly, investing isn’t optional.
It’s protection.
Credit cards aren’t evil—stupidity is
Schools teach kids to fear credit cards.
I teach mine to use them strategically.
Here’s my rule:
- Only spend what you can pay off that month
- Use cards with the highest cashback rewards
- Pay the balance to $0 before interest hits
If inflation is 3% but I’m getting 5% cashback, I’m technically getting a 2% discount on everything I buy.
That’s not debt.
That’s leverage.
Market crashes aren’t something to fear—they’re opportunities
When I talk about investing, someone always asks:
“But what if the market crashes?”
My answer is simple:
Then hopefully you have some cash on the side to buy while there’s blood in the streets.
Warren Buffett said it best: “Be fearful when others are greedy, and greedy when others are fearful.”
That’s not theory.
That’s how wealth gets built.
Schools teach kids to panic when markets drop.
I’m teaching mine to see crashes as sales—and to keep enough liquidity to actually take advantage of them.
How I Teach Kids About Money (Ages 6-7)
My 6 and 7-year-olds aren’t ready for covered calls and tax-deferred accounts.
But they are learning the basics:
- Money is earned, not given
- Saving means you can buy something later
- Some money should be set aside to grow
We use a simple system:
- They earn money for specific tasks
- They split it: spend some, save some, invest some
- The “invest” portion goes into a custodial account that we check together
It’s not complicated.
But it’s intentional.
And it’s already changing how they think.
Why This Matters More Than Schools Realize
Here’s the truth:
What schools don’t teach kids about money creates a generation of people who graduate thinking:
- Debt is normal
- A 401k is the finish line
- Investing is for rich people
- Working until 65 is inevitable
None of that is true.
But if you don’t teach kids about money at home, they probably won’t learn it at all.
I’m not saying schools are intentionally failing kids.
I’m saying the curriculum was designed for a world where:
- Pensions existed
- Jobs were stable
- Retirement at 65 made sense
- Inflation was predictable
That world is gone.
And the financial education system hasn’t caught up.
What I Wish I’d Known at 18
If I could go back and teach younger-me one thing, it would be this:
Time in the market beats everything else.
Not timing.
Not chasing trends.
Not waiting for the “right moment.”
Just starting early and staying consistent.
I didn’t start investing until my late 20s.
I lost a decade of compounding.
My kids won’t.
Because I’m teaching them now—before they graduate thinking a paycheck and a 401k is all there is.
Proverbs 13:11 says it plainly: “Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.”
That’s what I’m teaching my kids.
Not shortcuts.
Not hype.
Just consistent, intentional investing—starting now.
Final Thought
I can’t fix what schools teach.
But I can make sure my kids don’t graduate thinking debt management is the same thing as wealth building.
The goal isn’t to make my kids experts. It’s to teach kids about money in a way that gives them options schools never mention.
And I can make sure they know:
- Investing isn’t optional
- Inflation is real
- Credit can be a tool, not a trap
- You don’t have to work until you’re 65
That’s the education I’m giving them.
Not because I’m an expert.
Because I had to learn it the hard way—and they don’t have to.