The Best Lessons Begin Early for Cash and Kids : Dave’s Diary

I wish I was Dave Ramsey’s nephew.  Then all those family holiday dinners could have been spent learning at the feet of the master of money.  Money Management is one of my weakest links.  When I was raised, we were self-taught and tight-lipped about money matters. Not anymore.

People not only want to learn more about money and how to manage it, but also they are quite willing to talk about it with friends and family, even if Dave Ramsey isn’t your uncle!

Best of all, they want to share this newfound financial know-how with their children. That's the word from a survey by Ipsos that found that money matters, once a taboo subject for conversation, are now discussed more openly. Three out of four people say they are more likely to talk about money issues with co-workers since the recession, and 39 percent say they're talking more freely about finances with friends and family. A separate survey conducted by Mint.com looked at how people's childhood money memories prepared them to manage finances as adults and how they now teach their own children about money matters. The Mint.com survey found:

• More than 50 percent of those surveyed talk often to their children about the value of money, living within their means and saving to buy toys, games and clothing.
• Three out of four talk more openly with their children about money than their parents did with them.
• Most play the primary role in teaching their children about money, but more than half identified obstacles that prevent them from doing a better job.