LISTENING 9 - Kids and finance

Kids and finance
Hanna: So, next week I have to do a debate in my finance class.  Diego: Oh, really, what is your debate about? Hanna: Our debate topic is about whether we should teach finance to kids, so things like investment and the stock market... things like tax. Diego: OK, and what do you think about the topic? Hanna: I think it is really important that kids learn about things like this, particularly in our society these days, where literally everything revolves around money. I mean, even when you`re fourteen or fifteen, you go out and get a job and you have to start doing things like paying tax, and I mean, you`re gonna have savings, and you can invest that if you wanted to and turn that into more money, so even when you`re really young I think it is important to know this kind of information. Diego: But don`t you think that there`s a lot of consequences when you`re burdening kids from ... what was it - middle school, high school with financial responsibilities? I mean kids are kids after all. Shouldn`t they be playing around ... going to the park instead of worrying about the stock market crashing in Europe or in the states? Hanna: Well, they don`t have to worry about the stock market crashing, but I think it is good if just they know a little bit of information about it. Diego: But if they have all the information every time there`s a drop in GE stocks, they`re going to flip out and you know, they won`t be able to sleep and you`re giving kids too much to worry about in an age they shouldn`t be worrying about these things. It is after all they`re parents` responsibility to worry about these things, and eventually it`s going to be their turn but I think it`s just giving them something before they have to worry about it. Hanna: So you think junior high school`s too early to start to start teaching kids about this kind of stuff? Diego: I think so. Yeah. Especially when you`re making it because they have to take responsibility of their own money considering the fact that they don`t even have an income. Hanna: What if they do have an income? Diego: Well, they`re income would be like five dollars an hour, so I don`t think they`ll be investing anything of that. Hanna: Well, you never know. Diego: Maybe.