SCMLHK.com - Your Finance in Action: 1月 2010

2010年1月23日星期六

Children Finance

How to let children build up a correct cognition of personal finance baffles many parents. Children's education and financial advisor, Mr. Guan Xian-bin creates several sets of methodology to teach how the children could create their own financial plans so that the children could understand money in the world in a systematic and progressive way. The four systems cover from the best way to use their pocket money, to establish a correct cognition of money, to the establishment of financial integrity, so that children could master the money in stepwise.

Guan Xian-bin points out that many parents would encounter the decision of how much pocket money should be given to their children, and how to teach their children to make good use of pocket money and other related issues. He creates a new set of methods to deal with the financial learning problems of the children.

1. Amount of pocket money according to the attending grade of classes

Guan Xian-bin points out parents can consider their own financial position, the actual needs and self-management ability of their children to decide the amount of pocket money to be paid. According to the attending classes, the smaller P.1 to 3 students may have 2-5 dollars per day, given their transportation and meal expenses are paid by the parents, so the purpose of this small amount of pocket money each day is to help start training the children the money management skills.

For the P.4 to P.6 students, the average monthly pocket money may be around 300-350 dollars. Whether the allocation of this sum on weekly or monthly basis will depends on the finance management ability of the children and to provide an effective training we need a sufficient amount of money. The parents have to make it clear that the pocket money given has already included the purchases of extra-curricular books, stationery and toys and so on, parents will no longer pay for extra child "wanted" items.

2. Use "721" distributing rules of money

Training the children to make good use of pocket money, Guan Xian-bin first developed the ratio of money allocation of "721" approach for the children, that is, 70% for basic needs and consumptions, 20% savings, 10% for non-essential consumptions. As the children grow up, the "721" can be adjusted to "622" or "631" ratio. Guan Xian-bin says that parents should use an encouragement approach to ask the children to adopt this apportionment method, because if this was carried out under strict supervision, it will only make the children lose interest on savings.

In addition, parents can ask children to write weekly financial reports in order to let them understand their own consumption patterns. In the weekly report, you can include the week's income (including pocket money, in particular, incentives, etc.) and expenses (including basic consumptions and non-essential consumptions).

3. 8 directions of using money by age

The most important part of the financial education for the children to establish a correct cognition of money, "The kids may not have the ability to distinguish ‘needs’ or ‘wants’, so according to different age and maturity to educate them the 8 directions, that is, awareness, earnings, savings, controls, expenses, protection, investment and share the money."

Guan Xian-bin thinks though the 8 directions of money are somewhat elusive concepts, but in the process of teaching children about money, the use of these directions can be structured through living examples and habits. If the children began to have pocket money, they can also teach them how to save, spend and control. And as the kids grow up, they can learn investment skills.

4. 6 ways to nurture financial integrity

Guan Xian-bin advices that parents need to cultivate the children's financial integrity. Financial integrity of wealth refers to the establishment of children's correct attitude and desire to exercise restraints, and proper risk management, and always work hard to achieve financial goals. He suggests this could start with the six core values of financial management. They are ideals, hard working, responsibility, self-equipped, self-control and generous respectively. He said: "Parents can instill financial integrity to their children from the details of their daily lives, such as by sharing stories of successful people, financial management, and analysis of the consequences of poor financial management, so that they can learn to take precautions."

Guan Xian-bin, said: "Be sure let the children pay their debts. They would understand the consequences of advance spending of tomorrow's money, and the responsibility for their decisions."

Source: appledaily extracts translated

2010年1月22日星期五

兒童理財

如何令兒童建立正確理財觀念，考起不少父母。兒童教育理財顧問關顯彬自創多套教導兒童理財方法，有系統地逐步讓小孩認識金錢世界。四大系統，由如何善用零用錢，到確立正確金錢觀念，至建立理財品德，令兒童按部就班掌握。

關顯彬指出，不少家長都會遇到應給多少零用錢予子女、如何教導子女善用零用錢等問題。他對這些兒童理財問題，有一套自創方法。

1.按班級　定多少零用錢

關顯彬認為，家長可按本身經濟能力、子女實際需要，及自我管理能力考慮零用錢金額。以就讀班級劃分，小一至小三學生，每日可給 2至 5元，因他們的交通及膳食費用，均有家長安排，所以每日給小量零用錢，主要是訓練孩子理財技巧。
小四至小六學生，每月平均零用錢約 300至 350元，家長可按子女理財及分配金錢能力，決定按日或按月給予。訓練孩子理財需有足夠金額才可發揮，但父母須跟孩子說清楚，零用錢已包括購買課外書籍、文具及玩具等項目，父母不會再額外付錢購買孩子「想要」的物品。

2.藉「 721」　分配用錢比例

要子女善用零用錢，關顯彬認為要先為孩子制訂金錢分配比例，他有一套「 721」方法，即 70%作基本消費、 20%儲蓄， 10%作非基本消費。隨着子女成長，「 721」可調節成「 622」或「 631」分配比例。
關顯彬表示，家長應以鼓勵方式要求子女使用這套方法，因在家長強制下實行，只會令子女失去對儲蓄的興趣。
此外，家長可要求孩子寫理財周記，藉以了解小朋友的消費模式。在周記中，可包括一星期的收入（包括零用錢、特別獎勵等）及支出（包括基本消費及非基本消費），每天記賬。

3.按年齡　教用錢八方向

理財教育最重要是為孩子建立正確金錢觀念，「小朋友分不清『想要』或『需要』，所以應按年齡教育他們 8個用錢方向，即認識、賺取、儲蓄、控制、花費、保護、投資及分享金錢。」
關顯彬認為，這 8個用錢方向雖然都是一些虛無縹緲的概念，但在教導孩子認識金錢的使用方向時，可分階段、透過生活例子、習慣進行。如在孩子開始有零用錢時，可同時教他們應如何儲蓄、花費和控制，隨着孩子年紀漸長，可學習投資方面的理財技巧。

4.六方法　培養理財品德

關顯彬認為，家長還需培養孩子理財品德。理財品德是指建立小朋友對財富的正確態度，克制慾望及做好風險管理，時刻勤奮以達理財目標。他建議，可從 6個理財核心價值入手，分別是理想、勤奮、責任感、自我裝備、自我控制及慷慨。他表示：「家長可在日常生活細節，灌輸理財品德予子女，如透過分享成功人士的理財故事、及分析不善理財的後果，令他們學會未雨綢繆。」

寫理財周記　可學懂慳錢

關顯彬有兩子女，分別 16歲及 12歲。教導子女理財，他主要透過妥協及討論方式。他說，子女每日平均零用錢約 50元，他會要求子女寫理財周記，這方法對細女尤其有效。他說與細女一起到超市購物，以前她會想購買零食之類東西，但做了理財周記後，細女在選購東西時，會多逛幾圈，經過冷靜後會說不買，可見女兒學會控制金錢運用。
為令子女不先使未來錢，關顯彬未有為子女八達通申請自動增值，以免因一時方便，令孩子失去對金錢的意識。不過，他的子女亦曾試過不擅使用零用錢，結果需向爸爸借貸。關顯彬雖然最後也有借錢予子女，但雙方訂立還款協議，子女須在之後的零用錢中扣回預支款項。關顯彬說：「一定要孩子還款，他們才會明白先使未來錢的惡果，並為自己的行為負責任。」

Source: appledaily