The Art of Allowance Podcast | Parenting | Families | Money Smarts | Financial Literacy

Ever wonder what it would be like to chat with the original Money Mammal? Then wonder no more! Eileen Lanza is a real estate investor and a Top Producer/Realtor with Keller Williams Realty in Los Angeles, where she lives with her two daughters and yours truly. Eileen and I co-created The Money Mammals, a program that gets kids excited about money smarts and which began our family's foray into youth financial literacy. Our journey eventually led to The Art of Allowance book and this podcast to help parents like you raise money-empowered children. I often refer to Eileen as the original Money Mammal because she has set the standard for money-smart behavior that informs much of what I discuss with my podcast guests. In this very special 50th episode of our program, you'll want to listen closely to hear Eileen's no-nonsense approach to money, learn why she adopted smart money habits early and discover one money-smart mistake she thinks we made in raising our own kids (which you can avoid by starting early).

Just how do you navigate an allowance system that is both digital and physical? Kennedy Reynolds will show you the way! Kennedy is the Chief Content & Education Officer at Acorns, a saving and investing app. She spearheads the company's education and impact initiatives, working to unite financial literacy and consumer decision-making and to make money tools mainstream for everyday Americans. Prior to Acorns, Kennedy led digital content strategy at Zeno Group and founded the agency's Story & Brand Practice. She graduated from Harvard University and went on to complete her Masters in Creative and Life Writing at Goldsmiths College, University of London. Kennedy is the mother of three young children and the author of Grow Your Oak, a children's book that empowers kids to invest in their financial futures.

How can parents incorporate family values into the money conversations they're having with their kids? Robin Taub offers several strategies during her second appearance on The Art of Allowance Podcast. A Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA) by training, Robin began her career at KPMG, transitioned into real estate and then landed in the complex world of derivatives marketing at Citibank Canada. Today, she's an author and a professional speaker. Robin lives in Toronto, where she and her husband have raised two (mostly) money-smart twenty-somethings. She is an avid cyclist, snowboarder, music lover and concert goer. I'm excited to welcome her back for a conversation about her new book, The Wisest Investment: Teaching Your Kids to Be Responsible, Independent and Money-Smart for Life.

Do you consider investing to be inherently complicated? Chris Browning just might change your mind with his "boring is better" approach. He is the host of the award-winning, short-form podcast Popcorn Finance and the call-in, money-advice show This Is Awkward. Chris was one of the first finance podcasters on the scene when he began producing content in 2017. His creation, Popcorn Finance, addresses financial topics in about the time it takes to make a bag of popcorn. Chris can be seen weekly on NBCLX's Current as a personal finance expert contributor or heard on KFI AM 640 providing insights on the latest finance news. I first appeared on his show, and now he's returning the favor by joining me for a not-so-boring conversation.

What can we as parents do to empower our kids with money? Gayle Reaume offers several strategies, including encouraging entrepreneurship, promoting a "saving to invest" mentality and shifting financial decision-making power. A mom herself, Gayle founded Moolah U fifteen years ago to give kids a practiced understanding of financial responsibility. Moolah U has now served thousands of Austin, Texas families through after-school clubs, summer entrepreneur camps and now a family financial app. Says Gayle, “I'm inspired by how technology can help people at scale, and I'm using that to empower every child to enter the 'real world' with a practiced understanding of financial literacy." In 2019, Gayle was awarded the Austin U40 Mentor of the Year Award. She also has been featured multiple times in the national media, including in The Wall Street Journal and on NBC Nightly News and Bankrate.com.

What is the key to teaching money smarts in credit unions, families and schools? According to Courtney Moran, the answer is consistency. Courtney joined the Cornerstone Credit Union Foundation in 2004, becoming the executive director in 2009. Previously, she worked in the financial services industry in areas ranging from operations to marketing. In her role at Cornerstone, Courtney promotes financial education among credit unions, educators and partner organizations. She also oversees the Foundation's grants and scholarships. Both a Credit Union Development Educator (CUDE) and an International CUDE, Courtney is a Credit Union Financial Counselor through the Credit Union National Association's FiCEP program. She serves as a director on the National Credit Union Foundation board and is a member of the Advisory Council and Outreach committee for BizKid$. Courtney was also recognized as a Credit Union Rock Star by Credit Union Magazine in 2014.

What do a free lunch and a Roth IRA have in common? My latest guest (and clear contender for The "Metaphor of the Year" Award), Gene Natali, will enthusiastically educate you. Prior to serving as the CEO and CFA of Troutwood, a financial technology company, Gene spent 17 years working with large pension funds and institutional investors. He is an award-winning author who has key-noted investment and education conferences across the country and spoken in over 500 high school and college classrooms. Gene is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and holds a bachelor's degree in Economics from Allegheny College as well as an MBA with a concentration in finance from Carnegie Mellon University. He is also a board member of CFA Society Pittsburgh, a part-time lecturer at the University of Pittsburgh and an Executive in Residence at Penn State Behrend. Gene resides in Pittsburgh with his wife, four children and (not to be forgotten!) chocolate lab.

What are the keys to cultivating a culture of prosperity? Ellen Rogin has made it her life's work to educate, counsel and guide people to grow their prosperity and to use it as a force for good in their lives and in the world. The co-author of the bestselling Picture Your Prosperity: Smart Money Moves to Turn Your Vision into Reality and a TEDx presenter, she has been quoted in such national publications as The New York Times, Money and The Huffington Post. As a consultant and a speaker around the globe, Ellen combines her deeply credentialed experience as a former financial advisor with her intuitive abilities to guide people to a clearer understanding of what they can do to enhance their relationships with money, identify their money strengths and chart an inspired path to reaching their financial and business goals.

How are our financial behaviors influenced by past generations, and what can we do to acknowledge our own money issues to become better financial role models for our kids? Enter Doctor Brad Klontz's concept of money scripts. Brad is an expert in financial psychology, financial planning, and applied behavioral finance. He's also an Associate Professor of Practice at Creighton University Heider College of Business, Co-Founder of the Financial Psychology Institute, and Managing Principal of Your Mental Wealth Advisors. A Fellow of the American Psychological Association, Brad was awarded this institution's Innovative Practice Presidential Citation for his application of psychological interventions to help people with money and wealth issues and his innovative practice in financial psychology for practitioners across the country. In addition to the six books Brad has authored or edited, he has been a columnist for the Journal of Financial Planning, On Wall Street and Psychology Today. His work has been featured on many media outlets and in professional magazines and journals, including NPR, Money Magazine and The Wall Street Journal. In 2019 Brad was appointed to the CNBC Financial Wellness Council, and in 2018 he received the Montgomery-Warschauer Award from the Journal of Financial Planning, honoring the most outstanding contribution to the betterment of the financial planning profession. Brad has partnered with organizations including Capital One, JP Morgan Chase, Mutual of Omaha and H&R Block in efforts to help raise public awareness around issues related to financial health and financial psychology.

What are the criteria families should follow during the college search process? Author and journalist Ron Lieber outlines three key points and frames them in terms of the larger money conversation during this episode of The Art of Allowance Podcast. A father of two and a fan of family finance, Ron has been the "Your Money" columnist for The New York Times since 2008. Before coming to The Times, he wrote the “Green Thumb” personal finance column for The Wall Street Journal and was part of the startup team at the paper's Personal Journal section. His book The Opposite of Spoiled: Raising Kids Who Are Grounded, Generous, and Smart About Money was an instant New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller when it was released in 2015. (It is also referenced and listed as suggested reading within my book for parents, The Art of Allowance: A Short, Practical Guide to Raising Money-Smart, Money-Empowered Kids.) Ron's newest book, The Price You Pay for College: An Entirely New Roadmap for the Biggest Financial Decision Your Family Will Ever Make, is now available. I am a fan of Ron and his work, and I hope you will be too after this illuminating conversation.

How does "noise" pose a threat to our children's futures? On this episode of The Art of Allowance Podcast, Dr. Robert Reiher offers insight into the concept of "noise" and explains its relationship to cognitive development, marketing and self-control. From a background of over forty-five years of product and program development as well as Media, Developmental and Educational Psychology, Rob has integrated neuroscience, consciousness research and personal development into a strategic and practical framework for understanding how to live more Choice-Fully in a world of increasing “noise” and uncertainty. After several years of working in the context of commercial product and program development, Rob, frustrated with the lack of concern for the integration of human developmental dimensions into product development, divorced himself from this context to shine a light on the topic of Choice-Fullness in the accelerating Culture of Noise as well as to create a new and integrated approach to self-improvement and the development of Choice-Full products and programs. Rob is the co-author of What Kids Buy and Why and Kidnapped: How Irresponsible Marketers Are Stealing the Minds of Your Children. He is currently completing the book FutureWise: The Challenge of Choice in the Culture of Noise.

Does the tried-and-true three-jar system have room for two additions? Robin Taub makes the case for "Earn" and "Invest" to join the traditional "Share," "Save" and "Spend Smart" jars during this episode of The Art of Allowance Podcast. Robin is a financial writer, speaker and consultant. A Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA) by training, Robin is also the best-selling author of Raising Money-Smart Kids: How to Teach Your Kids about Money While Learning a Few Things Yourself, a book that gives parents the information and skills they need to teach their kids about money. Robin has held professional positions in both audit and taxation at two of Canada's largest accounting firms, and spent five years in the complex world of Derivatives Marketing at Citibank Canada. She is also passionate about improving opportunities for women CPAs to advance into positions of leadership. From 2008 until 2017, she was a member, and then Chair, of the Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada's Women's Leadership Council. A proponent of lifelong learning, Robin also participated in the Canadian Board Diversity Council's Director Education Program. She has two mostly money-smart kids and lives in Toronto.

Is it possible to protect our kids from rampant consumerism in a social media age? Josh Golin, now Executive Director of the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood (CCFC), has many recommendations to protect kids from both the obvious and subtle pitfalls of materialism and social media. Josh found his calling as a CCFC intern in 2003 and has been with the organization ever since. Most recently, as Associate Director, he was organizing campaigns and developing communications strategies. Josh has appeared on Today, NPR and Fox & Friends, and he has been quoted in publications including The New York Times and The Washington Post. His writings on the commercialization of childhood have appeared in many outlets as well. He and his wife, Jennifer, are doing their best to raise their daughter, Clara, commercial-free.

Just how strong is the relationship between a person's physical and financial health? Dr. Barbara O'Neill will gladly fill you in. Barbara is a Certified Financial Planner as well as the owner and CEO of Money Talk: Financial Planning Seminars and Publications, an outlet through which she writes, speaks and reviews content about personal finance. A Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Rutgers University, Barbara has written more than 160 articles for academic publications as well as received over 35 national awards and more than $1.2 million in grants to support her research and financial education programs. She is also a past president of the Association for Financial Counseling & Planning Education (AFCPE), a recipient of the AFCPE Distinguished Fellow Award and a Next Gen Personal Finance fellow.

Ashley Whillans is my first returning guest! Ashley is a self-described "time nerd" and an Assistant Professor at the Harvard Business School in Negotiations, Organizations and Markets. She has a forthcoming book, Time Smart — How to Reclaim Your Time and Live a Happier Life, that will feature prominently in our discussion.   Ashley received her Ph.D. in Social Psychology from the University of British Columbia and was named a Rising Star of Behavioral Science. Her research, which focuses on understanding how the daily and long-term decisions that people make about time and money (in their personal lives, relationships and workplaces) impact well-being, has been published in leading academic journals as well as The New York Times, The Economist and The Los Angeles Times, among others.

You've taught your child to save and share ... but how about to spend? Trae Bodge can help you tackle this important step in any money-smart journey! An accomplished lifestyle journalist and television commentator, Trae specializes in smart shopping, personal finance, parenting, and retail. She has appeared on television hundreds of times, including NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt, Inside Edition, and CNBC, and her writing and expert commentary have been featured in Newsweek, Woman's Day, and Forbes, among many others. During our discussion, Trae and I run the gamut of smart shopping topics by chatting about introducing a child to a debit card, approaching the costs of kids' eating out, encouraging thrift shopping, and alerting children to the dangers of frictionless purchases. We also take a notable side step into the allowance and chore debate (Yes, it still rages on!), and Trae offers a noteworthy alternative to the Share jar. All in all, our conversation underscores the importance of developing smart shopping habits as a prerequisite to becoming money-comfortable.

Is there a case for tying chores to allowance? If so, then Cameron Huddleston will make it. Cameron is an award-winning journalist with more than 18 years of experience writing about personal finance. Her work has appeared in and on Kiplinger's Personal Finance, Business Insider, Chicago Tribune, Forbes, MSN, Yahoo and many more print and online publications. She also is a mom of three and is married to an economist.   During this episode, Cameron and I address not only the great allowance and chore debate but also the taboo nature of financial conversations and how to help parents feel comfortable talking with their children about money. We also discuss how "adult kids" can open up a dialogue with their parents about finances and possessions, the subject of Cameron's new book, Mom and Dad, We Need to Talk: How to Have Essential Conversations with Your Parents About Their Finances. Cameron's case for linking chores and allowance underscores the varying viewpoints I like to feature on this podcast and highlights the need for parents to craft their own Art of Allowance based on multiple perspectives and their family's values.

In this episode, I talk to Andrea Ferrero. Andrea is a co-founder of Pockets Change, an organization that uses hip hop pedagogy to change the way personal finance is taught to kids. Andrea has enjoyed over a decade of teaching students of all ages, coaching educators and designing award-winning academic programs and products. She currently holds teaching credentials  in Pre-K though12th Grade Multiple Subjects and two Master's Degrees, one in Educational Leadership as well as one in Curriculum & Instruction with Multicultural Contexts.   Andrea and I discuss how to help kids move from thinking they are "good" or "bad" with money to learning how to simply use money as a tool. We discuss money values and personalities, encouraging entrepreneurship and how Andrea is adapting her teaching methods to accommodate families during the COVID-19 crisis. So please join me for another wide ranging conversation.

Are you wondering how best to talk to your kids during a crisis?    With coronavirus and COVID-19 dominating our lives, I thought it would be helpful to take a slight detour with this episode and talk to an expert about how we can have better conversations with our kids in the midst of a crisis. My guest on this special episode of the podcast is Lucy Rimalower.    Lucy is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist practicing in Los Angeles. She works with individuals and families addressing anxiety, parent-child communication and women's issues. She also provides crisis response consultation. She's an ideal guest to help us improve the quality of conversations we're having with our kids as we navigate this pandemic.

Are you looking for ideas to incorporate into your allowance program? Then you'll enjoy my conversation with Mark and Kimberlee Barnes, the “Not So Perfect Parents.” Mark and Kimberlee are both educators — Mark is a school administrator and Kimberlee is an elementary technology specialist. In this episode, they discuss their implementation of The Art of Allowance program with their family of four — three boys and one girl. True to the purpose of my book and this podcast, they share their struggles and successes on the road to raising money-smart kids. You'll see how they've made the program their own and I hope you'll find more than a few takeaways that you can implement in your own allowance program.

Wondering about the effectiveness of personal finance education in the classroom? Did you know that there is good and bad student debt? My recent conversation with Carly Urban is full of informative findings and practical advice. Carly is an Associate Professor of Economics at Montana State University and a Visiting Scholar with The Office of Financial Education at The Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection. She is also an affiliate of The Center for Financial Security at The University of Wisconsin-Madison. Carly completed her Ph.D. in Economics at UW-Madison, and she holds a B.A. in Economics and International Affairs from The George Washington University. Her work, largely focusing on the causal effects of financial education on behavior, has been published in top economics and inter-disciplinary peer-reviewed journals as well as featured in prominent media outlets, including Bloomberg News, CNN Money, Market Watch, The New York Times and TIME.

Do you fret about giving your kids too much autonomy when it comes to money and allowance? In this episode of The Art of Allowance Podcast, my guest David Owen offers a candid, funny and time-tested glimpse into the family financial system he wrote about in The First National Bank of Dad: The Best Way to Teach Kids About Money. This is a wonderfully written and hilarious book which heavily influenced my most recent work, The Art of Allowance. Using a method he developed to provide maximum age-appropriate control, David was able to raise two money-smart, money-empowered children.   David has been a staff writer for The New Yorker since 1991, and he is also a contributing editor at both Golf Digest and Popular Mechanics. Named one of The Fifty Funniest American Writers, he is the author of more than a dozen books, including the aforementioned First National Bank of Dad and the recent Volume Control: Hearing in a Deafening World. This episode is chock-full of enlightening information, from simple tactics like David's enhanced interest program to his broader philosophy that autonomy drives learning. I hope you enjoy this discussion as much as I did.

The Holidays are here and we can help you shift the focus from things to experiences with great advice from New Dream. In this episode, I talk to Guinevere Higgins and Kelley Dennings of New Dream. New Dream is a non-profit whose mission is to empower individuals, communities and organizations to transform the ways they consume to improve well-being for people and the planet.   Guinevere is the Director of Strategic Partnerships at New Dream. She is an ardent believer in the ability of individuals and communities to take action and ownership to make positive change. She finds the strategic partnerships necessary to support transformational activities on the community level.   Kelley Dennings spent 15 years in the recycling industry and now works with the Center for Biological Diversity, focusing on consumption's effects on wildlife and habitat. She works at the intersection of health, environment and social change, and serves on New Dream's Advisory Council.   We are releasing this episode during the Holidays because the focus of much of our discussion is about how to enjoy a season with more fun and less stuff. Also, a quick note. I should have had Guinevere step away from the mike a bit as her voice distorts from time to time. Entirely my bad, but this episode has so much good stuff that I hope you can ignore this production issue and enjoy the content.

Do you ever wonder where the real heroes are? Look no further than Council Bluffs, Iowa. In this episode, I talk with Kyle Osborne, the Director of Financial Literacy at TS Institute in southwest Iowa, about helping families become money smart. Kyle is a financial literacy education expert and works closely with teachers and administrators to provide free, effective financial literacy resources for grades K-12. In addition to working with schools, Kyle also works with area Non-Profit organizations to deliver financial literacy courses. 

In this second installment of our shorter format episodes — which we call Small Change — I explore the term “money-empowered.” This is a stated goal of The Art of Allowance (heck, it's part of the subtitle) and it's a question I ask almost all my guests. In this episode, I present you with four interesting responses and why I think each one of them is meaningful. Listen to what these guests had to say and think about what it is that the term money-empowered means to you.

Unsure of how to initiate and keep up the money conversation with your kids? My recent discussion with Ruth Soukup can shed some light on this crucial step in the financial literacy journey. A mother of two girls, Ruth runs an eponymous online media company with business, lifestyle, motivation and productivity divisions. As if that isn't enough of a full plate, she is also a New York Times bestselling author, host of the Do It Scared podcast as well as founder of the Elite Blog Academy course for online business owners and the Living Well Spending Less blog. In this episode, we address several of the fear archetypes from her most recent book, Do It Scared, and how they relate to allowance, the money conversation and its impact as well as how to establish and adjust money guidelines.

Looking for ways to help your children combat the pervasive notion of materialism? In this episode of The Art of Allowance Podcast, I have a discussion with Tim Kasser. Tim is an Emeritus Professor of Psychology at Knox College in Illinois. He has published over 125 scientific articles and chapters on materialism, values/goals, motivation, ecological sustainability and quality of life, among other topics. He has also authored five books that have been translated into a half-dozen languages. In short, you can learn a ton from Tim. I know I did, and I know you will by giving our conversation a listen. 

Feeling perplexed by all the higher education financing options available to both you and your child? My recent Art of Allowance Podcast guest, David Flores Wilson, can walk you through all the particulars. David helps Gen X and Gen Y professionals as well as business owners in New York City achieve financial freedom. Named one of Investopedia's 100 Top Financial Advisors of 2019, he is a Senior Wealth Manager for Watts Capital and Writer/Editor for Planning to Wealth. David holds the Certified College Financial Consultant (CCFC), Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) designations. His financial guidance has appeared on Yahoo!Finance, MSN News, CNBC and InvestmentNews. And if these accolades weren't enough, David had the privilege of representing Guam in the 1996 Atlanta Games. (Pretty neat, huh? I can now check Olympian off my podcast guest list!) Our conversation covers many college search hot topics, including researching schools, identifying types of aid and deciphering those pesky acronyms (such as CSS, EFC, and FAFSA).

In this episode, I talk with Pam Andrews, The Scholarship Shark! Pam helped her son win over $700,000 in scholarship money to help pay for his undergraduate and graduate schools. As a College Admissions Coach and Scholarship Strategist, she's helped her clients win over a million dollars in scholarships. My wife and I are in the early stages of our own college search with our kids, so this discussion was very timely and I think you'll find it packed full of great, actionable information. I hope you enjoy my conversation with The Scholarship Shark.

Curious as to how to tackle the financial literacy conversation both at home and in the classroom? In this episode of The Art of Allowance Podcast, I talk to Breanna Reish, a Certified Financial Planner and the owner of the fee-only financial planning firm Wealth of Confidence. Over the years she has spoken out about the broken 403(b) retirement system, and recently she decided to educate teachers on a larger scale by starting a financial podcast called One Million Apples. Breanna is a wife and mother to two kids. She believes in teaching children about financial literacy and practicing what she preaches by starting at home.

Here's a little something new at The Art of Allowance Podcast. This is the first of our mini episodes, which we're calling “Small Change.” Each “Small Change” episode is shorter than our typical interview-format shows and is filled with bite size chunks of nutritious info. Think of them as yummy snacks (please ignore my mixing of metaphors). In this first taste of “Small Change,” host John Lanza selects his top takeaways from the first five episodes of The Art of Allowance Podcast. Please let us know what you think of “Small Change."

  Are you interested in changing up your tween's or teen's allowance program but worried about giving him too much money responsibility too early? In this episode of The Art of Allowance Podcast, I speak with Larry Hagner. Larry interviewed me on his popular Dad Edge Podcast last year and also invited me to speak to his dad mastermind group. In our discussions, Larry challenged me (in a good way!) about chores and about the amount of money children should receive as allowance. Our conversations ended with his adjusting his own allowance program, and he shares how those changes are working for him during this episode. We also delve deeper into kids and money, as Larry, a father of four boys, is quite experienced when it comes to family finances.

Want to know how money impacts happiness (and how you can talk to your kids about it)? I tackle this important question in this episode of The Art of Allowance Podcast with the help of my guest, Ashley Whillans. Ashley is an Assistant Professor at the Harvard Business School in Negotiations, Organizations and Markets. She received her Ph.D. in Social Psychology from the University of British Columbia and was named a Rising Star of Behavioral Science. Her research, which focuses on understanding how the daily and long-term decisions that people make about time and money (in their personal lives, relationships and workplaces) impact well-being, has been published in leading academic journals as well as The New York Times, The Economist and The Los Angeles Times, among others.

Interested in the secret to raising high achieving kids? In this episode, I talk to Ronald Ferguson and Tatsha Robertson. They teamed up to write The Formula, a book that explores how parents raise high achieving kids. Tatsha is an award-winning journalist who left her editing job at People Magazine to begin a decade-long investigation into whether parents of very smart people were following particular patterns in raising their children. One of the first steps in her journey was to travel to Harvard University to talk with Ron, whom The New York Times called the nation's foremost authority on the “achievement gap.” Ron saw similar patterns and we discuss their combined research that became The Formula and how their insight might also apply to money-smart kids. I hope you enjoy our discussion as much as I did.

Looking for ways to facilitate better money-smart conversations with your family?Interested in investing with your kids but unsure of how to cultivate "the right relationship with risk?" Then be sure to check out the latest episode of The Art of Allowance Podcast.   This is the first episode to feature two guests, Evan Wilson and Todd Yuzuriha. Evan is the CFO of The Official Manufacturing Company and serves as a board member and a strategic advisor for several young companies. Todd is the retired Vice President of Engineering for Logitech and a current board member of his local library and school districts. Together they host The Money JAR, a weekly podcast helping families navigate their kids' relationships with money.

This was a fun episode to record. Financial coach, Kelsa Dickey, is my guest and we discuss so much that I think will be valuable for you: the importance of simple conversations, even with very young kids, the power of intentionality, how to think of a budget as something liberating and not restricting, and even dealing with a family member who may be spoiling your kids. Is your interest piqued? I hope so. 

Dave Hanley is CEO of Tomorrow, an app that helps families make long-term financial and legal decisions together for the first time, in an easy-to-use app designed to protect their futures. Dave is an incurable entrepreneur (his words) who has been involved in many successful ventures, including Shelfari — later acquired by Amazon — and Real Networks. Before becoming an entrepreneur, Dave was not only a Fulbright scholar, he was also selected to the World Economic Forum Young Global Leader program, where he remains an active participant and advisor. Dave is an adoring husband, loving father of four children, adventure traveler, and spirituality seeker. He holds an MBA from Stanford University and Bachelor's and Master's degrees in public policy from Brigham Young University. He brings lots of good information to chew on about how to get your kids involved in business and more.

This episode of The Art of Allowance Podcast features Ashley LeBaron, a researcher in Family Studies and Human Development at The University of Arizona.  Her research focuses on family finance, including couple finance and financial socialization. We discuss the importance of money conversations and real-world practice with money, both of which are stimulated by an allowance.

Are you ready for "Moose"? In this episode of The Art of Allowance Podcast, I talk with Morgan ("Moose") Wright. Morgan's life enthusiasm is as infectious as his allowance program is novel. In fact, it was my previous guest, CNBC journalist Kelli Grant, who introduced me to Morgan because she had reported on his interesting approach to teaching his kids money smarts. Of course, if you're a fan of the TV show American Ninja Warrior, then you might know "Moose" as the uber-popular 43-year-old gym teacher who advanced to the 2017 Kansas City finals in his eponymous hat. I think the video of his run has received over a half-million hits. However, Morgan is more than just a fit guy in an antlered hat bouncing off logs on YouTube. He's a retired U.S. Army first lieutenant as well as a Golden Apple award-winning Physical Education teacher, and he's transferred his enthusiasm for exercise to an interesting allowance program for his kids. Enjoy this episode, and I promise that there will be plenty of food for thought — ideas you may want to consider with your own family. So hop on, and hang on tight for this ride with "Moose"!

This episode (Lucky Number 13!) of The Art of Allowance Podcast features Chuck Kalish, the Director of Science for The Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD). Chuck received his B.A. in Psychology from Swarthmore College and earned his doctorate in Developmental Psychology at the University of Michigan. Before Chuck joined the SRCD, he was a Professor in and a past Chair of the Educational Psychology Department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Chuck is an expert in understanding how children develop what we might consider commonsense beliefs and how kids interpret the social norms that we adults take for granted. He and I discuss toxic stress and its insidious effects, executive function and a recent study that has called into question the oft-cited Marshmallow Test. And as the headline suggests, Chuck also explains his belief that videogames might teach financial literacy better than books. There is a lot to chew on (Pun intended!) in this particular show, as Chuck has a deep understanding of kids' and adults' relationships with money.

In this episode, I talk to Sam Renick, the award-winning financial educator who created Sammy Rabbit to help kids get in the savings habit. Sam is a true pioneer in youth financial literacy who's has spent two decades writing, speaking and performing for kids everywhere. Sam earned the 2016 National Financial Educators Council Financial Educator of the Year and the 2015 NJ Coalition for Financial Education Lifetime Achievement Award. More importantly, Sam is a totally engaging guy who has done a lot of deep thinking about how to move the financial literacy needle forward for families everywhere and our conversation is chock full of great, useful information from start to finish.

In this episode, I talk with Laura Levine. Laura is the Executive Director of the Jump$tart Coalition. We are a partner with this terrific non-profit that advocates for more financial literacy learning in the schools and aggregates resources for families and teachers on the comprehensive Jump$tart Clearinghouse. I've known Laura for some time — she's originally from SoCal where I live now — but currently lives and works in Washington DC. She's a wonderful woman who has dedicated much of her life to pursuing the financial literacy needle forward and she shares what's going on in the schools, the overall state of financial literacy and her personal experiences with her son.

In this episode, I talk with Elizabeth Odders-White. Elizabeth is a researcher from the University of Wisconsin Madison who has recently struck out on her own to provide coaching and consulting services. She co-authored the most comprehensive youth financial literacy research review to date and she brings her incredibly thoughtful approach to our discussion. Elizabeth talks to us about financial well being, the importance of scaffolded practice and how we might change the money conversation with our kids from “we can't” to “we choose not to.”

In this episode, I talk to Kelli Grant, Personal Finance and Consumer Spending Reporter for CNBC. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, SmartMoney and Kiplinger's Personal Finance among other publications. Kelli holds a master's degree in personal financial planning from Kansas State, and a bachelor's degree in journalism and anthropology from Ithaca College. Kelli was practically bursting with practical information about how to help even young kids reduce stuff, the importance of 529s and the FAFSA — you'll have to listen if you don't know what I'm talking about — and much, much more. I think you'll really enjoy my conversation with mom and personal finance expert, Kelli Grant.

In this episode, I talk to Tom Henske of Lenox Partners. Tom is a Certified Financial Planner and Financial Advisor to many wealthy clients in New York City. He also created their Money Smart Kids program. He leverages his wealth of financial knowledge as well as kids and money to teach his kids some very important lessons in financial literacy. Tom shares lots of wisdom in this episode, including interesting ways to use matching to teach your kids money values, a new bedtime ritual you may want to consider and crypto allowance (seriously). Oh, and for you soccer fans out there, Tom was a two-time All-American goalkeeper who helped the Virginia Cavaliers men's soccer team win their first national title.

Bill Dwight is the founder of FamZoo, a "Virtual Family Bank" that integrates prepaid card accounts with family finance software to help parents and kids develop responsible money habits through hands-on experience. Bill is a father of five and he brings both his personal experience and that of the many FamZoo users to provide a plethora of great money smart teaching tips for teenagers, tweens and younger kids that you should be able to use. If you're looking for tips to bring financial literacy to your kids, this episode is your ticket.

Tabatha Thurman is an award winning financial literacy educator who has taught money smarts to tens of thousands of Oklahomans. She is also a mom to a four-year-old who, as you might imagine, is being taught money smarts from a very young age. Tabatha and I both believe that starting a conversation is one of the most important aspects to financial literacy so it's only fitting that I would have her on the podcast to chat. Tabatha gives us an assessment of the state of financial literacy from the front lines, talks about how she's started an allowance for her little one and shares a new term that I think you'll love — The Family Jar.

Atsuko, a mom, emailed me recently to say that her now 16-year-old daughter had started learning money smarts with The Money Mammals back in our program first game out. Her testimonial is here. Of course, I had to have her on the podcast. I think you'll enjoy our interesting and wide ranging conversation, including her use of the “balance” as a guiding force (for you Jedi warriors out there) in raising a money-smart child who is clearly on the path to money empowerment.

Though her husband and sister were skeptical of the large amount, Melissa took the leap to a much larger Breakthrough Allowance for her three teenagers. She soon discovered that she was saving money with the new approach.

Jeremy Cybulski is a Credit Union Developmental Educator (CUDE) who has presented financial literacy to thousands of kids. He is also now a dad to a 4-year-old and we discuss the main money issues he often sees and how he plans to help his son grow up money-smart and money-empowered.

Sondi Sepanuk is a friend and mom who was frustrated by allowance programs that didn't work for her family until we discussed a different approach that immediately made sense to her. We discuss what didn't work before, what's working now and why.