Financial Empowerment for Teen Girls

Do you want your teen daughter to be more financially independent? Then sign her up for the Smart Girls Make Savvy Women workshop series starting in Jan 2012. She'll learn the importance of setting goals, budgeting, investing and using credit wisely.

Wed, January 18, 2012 ~ S.M.A.R.T. Goals for Girls

This one-hour workshop will teach you how to set goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, reachable, and time limited. You will learn how important having clear goals are to your long-term success and happiness.

Wed, February 8, 2012 ~ Budgets 101

This one-hour workshop will have you build a personalized budget for now and for the future. You will learn not to fear a “budget” but instead see that having a spending plan will set you on the path to meeting your goals and dreams.

Wed, March 14, 2012 ~ Invest like a Girl

This one-hour workshop will teach you how to invest to meet your goals. You will learn the reasons why women are great investors contrary to the perception that finance is a man’s world. This workshop will bust that myth!

Wed, April 11, 2012 ~ Using Credit Wisely

This one-hour workshop will teach you all about credit. You will learn why you need credit, how to use credit wisely, how to analyze credit card offers and most importantly how to avoid the pitfalls of building up debt.

Ages:  High School - ages 15 to 18
Fee:  Sign up for one workshop $30, or Sign up for the series for only $97.
Location:  The Schoolhouse, 588 Main Street, Chatham, NJ 07928
Time:  6:45 to 8:00 pm

Preregistration is required: Sign up by emailing me at ggcventures@gmail.com

My New Venture

Introducing My New Venture

Financial Empowerment for Girls and Women

www.SmartGirlsMakeSavvyWomen.com

Please visit the website and check out the 

Smart Girl Workshop Series

as well as the

Savvy Women Workshop Series

Learning about money should never end!

Hey, where’s my Prince Charming??

Yes, I did set my alarm for 4:00 AM EST on Friday to watch the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. I did the same 30 years ago to watch Princess Diana marry Prince Charles. Ah, it’s a fairy tale come true.

But you know me. I started looking at the money side of the Royal Wedding. Kate won’t have to worry about money anymore. Some parents might be worried that their daughters will think that their future Prince Charming will take care of them too. Sadly, studies show that girls tend to believe in the Prince Charming Myth. But you can take action now to correct it.

Step 1: Set up an Allowance Program – decide together her allocation to spending, saving and sharing. Help your daughter set short and long term goals for her savings.

Step 2: Discuss family finances openly – show your daughter that financial planning is a part of everyday life. Talk about the family budget and help her set up her own budget.

Step 3: Talk about her Future – encourage your daughter’s interests and show how they might lead to a career. (For example if she likes to write, help her meet a journalist.) Another great activity is to research salaries of careers she might be interested in. The reality is that most women will work for pay for a portion of their adult lives but usually get paid less than a man’s salary plus they may take breaks to have a family. At the end of their lives, a married woman can expect to live five to ten years in widowhood and might struggle financially. Check out the Women’s Institute for a Secure Retirement (WISER). They are dedicated to the education and advocacy that will improve the long-term financial quality of life for women.

By taking these three steps, your daughter will learn how to manage her own money and be in control of her future. So you’d better watch out Prince Charming!

For Girls Only

Traditionally girls shy away from money and math. So it’s important to give girls tools at an early age to learn about money and to make it fun.

One of my favorite workshops to lead is a Girl Scout meeting for the Money Sense badge. At the meeting, I have the girls break out into groups to perform various money activities. The Girl Scouts organization does a fantastic job getting girls involved in goal setting, money management and business ethics with the GS Cookie program. (Plus the cookies are delicious!)

The Girl Scouts have a safe website that girls and teens can check out for fun, games and information:

• For younger girls - Go Girls Only
• For teens - Studio 2b
• For all girls – Money Smarts

Most girls like to babysit and this is a great way for them to learn about earning money on their own. It’s a good idea for girls to be trained and local Red Cross chapters have a Babysitting Training class designed for ages 11 to 15.

Giving your daughter a head start with career planning will lead to confidence with earning money and her natural abilities – here are some resources (also great for your sons!):

• Kids.gov
• Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS) Career Information
• Career Vision

Once your daughter becomes a young woman here are some good resources directed at women: 

• Department of Labor – Women’s Bureau
•  Wi$eUp – Financial Planning for Generation X and Y Women
•  On Our Own Two Feet

I have found over the years in my financial planning career that women tend to leave the “money issues” to their boyfriends or husbands. Women need to take control of their financial life.

Use the tools and resources listed above to teach your daughter to be responsible for her own money. Don’t forget about your allowance program. You are your daughter’s best teacher!