When I started my investment banking career, I was intimated, insecure, and lacked confidence.
I felt outnumbered and surrounded by 20-year-olds whose dads had talked about business and finance with their sons since they were teenagers.
My work colleagues were years ahead of me.
But I loved my job.
I loved modeling, not modeling in front of a camera, but financial modeling with excel.
I ran huge merger models during heated negotiations.
I loved the beauty behind accretion, dilution, leverage and compounding.
The coolest part was working among smart, confident guys.
I wish every girl could experience what I did and love financial analysis as much as I do.
Wondering if I can help bring this rich experience to kids,
I volunteered at Junior Achievement in Atlanta.
JA's mission is to inspire and prepare young people to succeed in the global economy.
JA has created a robust simulation that helps 6th-grade kids understand the game of life:
- job with a salary,
- borrowing money,
- marketing a product,
- selling a product, and
- paying back the debt.
It was chaos, with over 100 kids running around.
There were clear leaders, rule followers, and kids screwing around.
The girls surrounded me, they wanted to learn.
Everyone talks about how important financial literacy is and that it's not taught in school.
Financial wellness or learning about money comes from:
- Experience
- Responsibility
- Understanding how our financial decisions compound.
My best #FinancialWellnessMonth tip:
Albert Einstein once said “Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world. He who understands it, earns it; he who doesn't, pays it”.
If you spend more than you make, your debts will compound.
If you invest what you save, your investments will compound.
Good and bad decisions compound in either direction.
This is what we need to teach our kids! Thank you to Kappy DeButts for suggesting I go and volunteer !!
If investing and finance feel intimidating, I know how that feels.
Please reach out to me!
Your Friendly Wealth Engagement Guide,
Tiffany Kent
Tiffany@wealthengagement.com
Disclosures: Past performance is not indicative of future results. This material is not financial advice or an offer to sell any product. The information contained herein should not be considered a recommendation to purchase or sell any particular security. Forward-looking statements cannot be guaranteed.
This commentary offers generalized research, not personalized investment advice. It is for informational purposes only and does not constitute a complete description of our investment services or performance. Nothing in this commentary should be interpreted to state or imply that past results are an indication of future investment returns. All investments involve risk and, unless otherwise stated, are not guaranteed. Be sure to consult with an investment & tax professional before implementing any investment strategy. Investing involves risk. Principal loss is possible.