Dollars and sense - Short Stuff - parents' concern about finances of teenage girls

Girls' Life, April, 2002

Money counts! Parents rank financial stability (even before sex or drugs) as their No. 1 concern for daughters, says a survey by The Women's College Coalition and Girls Count! Eighty percent of parents are concerned with their daughters' economic wellbeing. In other words, they think their girls gotta have cash! "Parents are trying to take an even-handed approach to teaching their daughters about money," note Meg Milne Moulton and Whitney Ransome, executive directors of the National Coalition of Girls' Schools.

Yet, cultural surroundings undermine efforts, too often reinforcing low earning expectations and high spending." Think about these scary stats from www.independentmeans.com: Girls 12 to 17 earn an average hourly wage of $5.35 compared to $6.50 for boys. Forty-seven percent of girls say they are not very knowledgeable about investing, but girls spend $37 billion a year on clothing, jewelry, beauty and entertainment. Wanna bend the trend? Visit www.ncgs.org for helpful money-making and saving tips.