by Emily Hechler 
Teenagers are expensive. Even though I don’t have my own kids, I’m well aware that I was expensive to raise. Then, as I got older, my interests became more expensive. When your teen hits 16, the doors for part-time jobs swing open. What’s a parent to do?
Opening a teen checking account comes with many benefits for you and your not-so-little kid. These benefits can make an impact now and in the future.
Learn Beforehand
Before you run to Alltru to open a TruSpend Checking account, encourage your teen to do a little learning beforehand. Opening a checking account comes with a lot of responsibility. If you need to set some boundaries in place, establish those ahead of time with your teen. That way, you are on the same page and your teen has a healthy understanding of spending and saving.
Get a Free Debit Card
When you open TruSpend Checking, your teen will get a free debit card. With so many online shopping opportunities, your teen has likely asked for your card a few times. Now that your teens have their own, they no longer need yours to make online purchases. This also gives them a taste of spending digital money.
Keep Money Separate
Your teen’s money will be separate from yours in their own checking account.When your teen gets a job, it’s not acceptable to keep yours and your teen’s money in one account. If your teen makes enough money to file taxes, sharing an account will create a mess and have consequences for you both. When your teen opens a TruSpend Checking account, you can have confidence where their money is going with direct deposit and know that they don’t have access to your hard-earned funds either.
Practice Money Management
With their own checking account, your teen will learn to manage their own money. When you and your teen open their checking account, they have access to all the money now in the account. If you’ve been encouraging good money habits since your teen was a kid or preteen, their discipline will be put to the test. While they still make some unwise decisions, be a safe place for them to come to with questions or encouragement to watch their spending closely. For an extra safety net, you can open a TruSpend Savings account so their debit card doesn’t have all of their money waiting to be spent.
Increase Their Financial Literacy
When your teen opens an account at Alltru, they get free access to Zogo, a gamified financial literacy app. Zogo breaks concepts like investing and budgeting into small, digestible steps. It also has over 100 modules about prepping for college, which can be helpful for teens considering their next step after high school. Zogo gamers can also redeem real-life rewards for completing lessons.
Establish a Strong Financial Reputation
Simply having a checking account and debit card won’t establish a credit score for your teen. However, many lenders will request bank account information when they apply for a loan or open a credit card in the future. Teens who manage their money wisely will stand out on these applications. In contrast, if they don’t have access to checking or savings accounts, it could lead to higher interest rates due to the lack of evidence that they can manage money effectively.
Open a Teen Checking Account
Kids grow up quickly, especially when they become teens with jobs and their own paychecks. While they still have you as a safety net, that won’t always be the case. Opening a TruSpend Checking account can have benefits for your teen for years to come. If they have questions about their account or other financial opportunities that may arise when they are older, they can always come to Alltru for advice and the accessible products they need to achieve financial independence.
