The greatest impact is had by parents who don’t have a perfect plan; rather, it’s those who turn up.

What This Means for You

You never need to have a knowledge of finance in order to bring up a child who handles money well, you just need to be consistent, provide a bit of structure, and be willing to let them deal with actual money in a situation where making a mistake costs only five dollars rather than five hundred. A joint youth account is specifically designed for this purpose.

Key Takeaways

• Kids learn more from watching how parents handle money than from being told about it
• A joint youth account lets a kid practice with real stakes while a parent keeps oversight
• Tools like Zogo can carry some of the teaching load so it doesn’t all fall on parents

Model It, Don’t Just Explain It

Children pick up on more than their parents believe. Simply stating in front of them why a purchase is being put off this month teaches more than any formal discussion about money ever could, mainly since it is genuine and takes place in front of them rather than being given as a lecture.

Give Them an Account, Not Just Advice

Advice on money remains abstract until you have a real account to put it into. A JumpStart Savers Account provides children with a place where they can get some practice by seeing their balance increase, deciding what to do with their birthday money, and making small choices while the parent still has full view of the funds through the joint account.

Let Zogo Carry Some of the Weight

Financial education doesn’t have to come entirely from parents. The programme provides brief lessons that are suitable for different ages and support the financial teaching that is already taking place at home, so the responsibility isn’t all placed on one person.

Proudly Tucson

Smart Start was designed so that all three of these could be done at the same time: opening an account, turning on internet banking and having Zogo carry out some of the teaching. If families complete the process before 30th September 2026 and keep the account active for 90 days they will receive a $100 deposit for their young saver.

Mini-FAQ

• Is it necessary for me to go through each and every Zogo lesson with my child?
  • On the contrary, most children are able to work through them by themselves and it’s still worthwhile to sit in from time to time, mainly since it provides a topic of conversation afterwards.
• What if my child loses interest about halfway through?
  • Check-ins that are short are more effective than reminders which end up sounding like nagging, and relating things back to the $100 aim usually manages to bring attention back.

*Offer valid for New Youth Members only. New youth account membership must include JumpStart Savers account and online banking registration. Valid on accounts opened between July 1, 2026 – September 30, 2026 in person at a branch location and mentioning this promo. Members will receive the deposit after criteria has been met and account has been opened and in good standing for 90-days. This Credit Union is federally insured by NCUA.