Skip to content
  • Home
  • Essentials
        • ESSENTIALS
        • Goals and Budgeting
          • Overview
          • Organizing Your Financial Life
          • Budgeting
          • Your Personal Net Worth
          • Setting Goals
          • Financial Planning
          • Planning Your Charitable Giving
        • Credit and Debit
          • Overview
          • Good Debt versus Bad Debt
          • How Credit Can Help—and Hurt
          • Understanding Your Credit Score
          • Preventing Identity Theft
          • Paying Off Student Debt
        • Estate Planning
          • Overview
          • Estate Plan Basics
          • Creating an Estate Plan
        • Types of Accounts
          • Overview
          • Choosing the Right Accounts
          • Individual Retirement Accounts
          • Employer Sponsored Retirement Accounts
          • Small Business Retirement Accounts
          • College Savings Accounts
          • Custodial Accounts
          • Understanding FDIC and SIPC Insurance
        • Saving
          • Overview
          • Why You Should Save and How Much
          • Making the Most of Your Paycheck
          • Saving for an Emergency
          • Eight Savings Fundamentals
        • Investing
          • Overview
          • Getting Started with Investing
          • Stocks, Bonds, and Cash
          • Fractional Shares
          • Socially Responsible Investing
          • Understanding Mutual Funds and ETFs
          • Creating an Investment Plan
          • Finding the Right Asset Allocation
          • The Advantages of Diversification
          • Benefits of Compound Growth
          • Tax-Smart Investing
          • The Importance of Monitoring and Rebalancing
        • Taxes
          • Overview
          • Income Taxes
          • Income Taxes for Children
          • Calculate Taxes
          • Payroll Taxes
        • Insurance
          • Overview
          • Insurance You Need
          • Individual Health Insurance
          • Group Health Insurance
          • Understanding Medicare
          • Disability Insurance
          • Life Insurance
          • Long-Term Care Insurance
          • Auto Insurance
  • My Life
        • MY LIFE
        • STARTING OUT
        • BUYING A CAR
        • MILITARY COMMUNITY
        • Buying a Home
          • Overview
          • Buy or Rent?
          • How Much House Can You Afford?
          • Mortgage Basics
          • Beyond Mortgage Costs
        • Jobs
          • Overview
          • Changing Jobs
          • What to Do If You Lose Your Job
          • Managing Your Finances as You Change Jobs
          • Protecting Your 401(k)
        • Getting Married
          • Overview
          • Planning and Paying for a Wedding
          • Marrying Your Finances
          • Prenups: Do You Need One?
        • Starting a Family
          • Overview
          • Budgeting for a Child
          • Insurance and Estate Planning Needs
          • Planning for a Child's Education
        • Divorce
          • Overview
          • Preparing Your Finances for Divorce
          • Protecting Yourself During a Divorce
          • Managing Money After a Divorce
        • Helping Aging Parents
          • Overview
          • Talking Money with Aging Parents
          • Insurance Needs
          • Managing Income and Investments
          • Knowing Their Wishes
          • Social Services
        • Losing a Loved One
          • Overview
          • Handling Finances After Loss
          • Special Guidelines for Loss of a Spouse
        • Retirement
          • Overview
          • Starting Retirement
          • Nearing Retirement
          • Enjoying Retirement
  • Money Talk
        • MONEY TALK
        • Planning & Goals
        • Investing Basics
        • Insurance
        • Education Savings
        • Couples & Families
        • Kids & Teens
        • Estate
        • Retirement
        • Major Purchases
        • Banking, Credit & Debt
        • Budgeting & Saving
        • Taxes
        • About Money Talk
  • Teaching Kids
        • TEACHING KIDS
        • Basics
          • Overview
          • Rules of the Road at Every Age
          • Budgeting
        • Saving
          • Overview
          • Starting the Savings Habit
          • Motivating Your Kids to Save
          • Tips for Parents with Kids and Teens
        • Investing
          • Overview
          • Introducing Kids to Investing
          • Important Investing Concepts
          • Benefits of Early Investing
          • Investment Accounts for Kids
        • Giving Back
        • Life Lessons
          • Overview
          • Tips for Financial Success
          • Managing an Allowance
          • Help Teens use Credit Wisely
        • Buying a Car
          • Overview
          • Your Teen's First Car
          • Assessing Your Teens Needs and Budget
          • Cash or Financing?
          • Auto Insurance
        • First Job
          • Overview
          • Your Teen's First Job
          • Income Tax Basics
          • Payroll Tax Basics
          • Getting Serious About Saving
        • Going to College
          • Overview
          • Costs Beyond Tuition
          • Life Away from Home
        • Leaving the Nest
          • Overview
          • A Checklist for Leaving Home
        • Activities and Resources
          • Overview
          • Overview
        • Categories
          • Overview
          • Classroom Curriculum
        • Age Groups
          • Overview
          • Elementary School
          • Middle School
          • High School
  • Teen Academy
        • GOALS AND BUDGETING
          • Overview
          • Dream Big, Save Smart: How to Set Money Goals
          • Who Needs a Budget? Well, Everyone—Even You!
          • Spending Reality Check: Do You Need It or Just Want It?
        • JOBS
          • Overview
          • Got Your First Job? Understand Your Paycheck
        • CREDIT AND DEBT
          • Overview
          • Spend Smart: How to Use a Credit Card the Right Way
        • COLLEGE
          • Overview
          • Financial Aid 101: How to Pay for College
        • INVESTING
          • Overview
          • This Cool Investing Feature Is the Key to Reaching Your Goals
          • How to Invest Like a Boss—As a Teen
  • Tools & Resources
        • TOOLS AND RESOURCES
        • Worksheets
        • Calculators
        • Spending Tracker
        • Monthly Budget Planner
        • Financial Fitness Quiz
        • Documents and Forms
          • Overview
          • Form W-4
          • Form W-2
          • Form 1099
        • Financial Glossary
  • Foundation
      • FOUNDATION
      • Moneywise America
Search

Ask Carrie: Girls & Money—Six Steps to Take Now

Read Transcript Open new window

Transcript of the video:

Dear Carrie, I'm worried about my daughter's lack of financial know-how.  What can I do to help her?

It's true that financial education needs to be a higher priority in our nation's schools, but the good news is that there are six straightforward steps we could take to get all of our kids on the right track.

Talk equally to your daughters and sons about money.

Our studies show that parents are more likely to talk to girls about short-term concepts like budgeting, and to boys about long-term planning and investing. We need to change that.

Make money talk a part of everyday life.

Whether you're saving for a major goal or deciding on a purchase, share that process with your children.

Discussing money openly can set your kids up to make informed financial decisions later in life.

Make equal pay for equal work a rule at home.

Out in the real world, women still earn about 80 cents to a man's dollar.  Unequal pay starts earlier than you  might think. 

Research shows girls sometimes get paid less than boys for household chores.

Be sure not to divide chores by gender or value one type of work over another.

And have a conversation about the value of different type of jobs.

Encourage financial responsibility early on.

Once your kids have money of their own, they need to learn how to manage it.  Whether that money is from an allowance, gifts, or a job, help them set goals to spend and save responsibly. 

Opens a savings account, or even an investment account, so they can get hands-on experience.

Talk honestly about the obstacles women face.

Even before your daughter enters the workforce, talk to her about the wage gap and potential inequalities. 

Encourage her to research salaries and to be her own advocate of presenting her skills and expectations to employers.

With women generally living longer but earning less and being in the workforce for fewer years, it's critical that they save for their future, especially when it comes to retirement.

Finally, set a good example. 

Kids learn as much by what we do as by what we say.

The example you set sends a powerful message about gender roles around money.

You can check out SchwabMoneyWise.com, and tap into other financial education resources, such as books, games, or some helpful teaching tools.
Here's the takeaway.

Teach your children that regardless of gender, they have the capability and the responsibility to understand and control their finances.

Now is the time to help them develop the skills they will need to thrive through every stage of their life.

For more tips check our my Ask Carrie column.
 

Girls today still often don't get the same financial start as boys. Watch as Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz offers six steps to take to help your daughters—and sons. Check out the Ask Carrie column for more: https://www.schwab.com/askcarrie

  • About the Foundation
    • Foundation
    • Moneywise America
  • Money Talk
    • Money Talk
    • Planning & Goals
    • Investing Basics
    • Insurance
    • Education Savings
    • Couples and Families
    • Kids and Teens
    • Estate
    • Retirement
    • Major Purchases
    • Banking, Credit & Debt
    • Budgeting & Saving
    • Taxes
    • About Money Talk
  • Essentials
  • My Life
  • Teaching Kids
  • Tools and Resources

This information on this website is for educational purposes only, and is not intended to be a substitute for specific individualized tax, legal, or investment planning advice. Where specific advice is necessary or appropriate, you should consult with a qualified tax advisor, CPA, Financial Planner, or Investment Manager.

Charles Schwab Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, private foundation funded by The Charles Schwab Corporation. It is not part of Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. or its parent company, The Charles Schwab Corporation.

© 2025 Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. ("Schwab"). All rights reserved. Member SIPC.

(0624-1EZE)