Hey there! It's Talk About Money Tuesday, your favorite day of the week! 🤑

It's that time of year when Halloween is barely behind us, Thanksgiving is yet to come, and Christmas merch and decor is on full display. It's also open enrollment season, which means millions of employees across the country are gearing up to choose their workplace benefits for the year ahead.

For lots of adults, open enrollment is a blur of forms that they rush to complete. But it could also be a teachable moment, even if your child hasn't entered the workforce yet. Conversations about health insurance, retirement savings, and other benefits can help kids and teens connect the dots between work, money, and long-term security before they need to make benefits choices on their own.

Money Stat

Less than 20 minutes

According to a survey conducted by Voya Financial, 49% of employees spend less than 20 minutes reviewing their benefit options during open enrollment. Rushing through those choices can mean missing chances to save money, protect income, or take advantage of valuable perks. Teaching kids to read the fine print early builds strong money habits, such as reading carefully and asking questions before signing or clicking "submit." Those same skills will help them later when they're comparing job offers, choosing a credit card, or signing their first apartment lease.

Get in the Zone

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Money skill: How to think beyond the paycheck

Why it matters: Even if your student isn't choosing benefits yet, they're growing up in a time when benefits are changing quickly. And benefits are often a big part of what makes a job valuable. Learning early on that things like health insurance, retirement contributions, paid time off, and tuition reimbursement all affect a person's wellbeing helps them see that total compensation is more than just a number on their paycheck.

Try this: Ask your teen or college student to imagine they have two summer job offers. Job A pays $15 an hour with no extra benefits. Job B pays $14 an hour but offers a free meal every shift, a transit pass, and flexible scheduling. Then ask them which job they would take.

Help them see that although Job A offers more money up front, the extras at Job B can add value that impacts their time and budget. Learning to weigh trade-offs and see the total package helps them view future job offers not just as income, but as a package of opportunities and protections that shape their financial future.

Smart Money Quiz

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Which of the following benefits could have a major impact on your finances?

A. Tuition reimbursement or student-loan repayment help

B. T-shirts with company logo

C. Free parking on weekends only

D. Monthly birthday celebrations

(The answer is at the end of this newsletter.)

Money Talks

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Talking about benefits doesn't have to feel like a lecture. It can start with stories from your own life.

Try sharing examples that your teen or college student can relate to: "When I first started working after college, I chose the cheapest health plan available because it meant more money in my paycheck. I figured that was the best thing to do because I was healthy. Then I got strep throat and had to pay for most of the bill from my visit to the doctor and most of the cost of my medicine. What I saved upfront didn't cover the bills I racked up later."

You could explain that low premiums often mean higher costs when you actually use care, so choosing the cheapest option may not be the smart thing to do. Framing it this way helps young people see that sometimes spending a little more now protects you from bigger expenses later. Plus, these small, real-life conversations teach them to think like decision-makers.

Loose Change

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🩺 Young workers who don't understand their employee benefit options look to social media for more information.

🧦 Some startups have a quirky workplace perk: a no-shoes policy.

👟 A North Carolina town is rethinking its slate of fringe benefits for town employees that includes tuition reimbursement, longevity bonuses, and...new sneakers.

Thanks for reading! If you know someone who cares about youth financial literacy, share this newsletter with them. And if this newsletter was forwarded to you, please subscribe ​here​.

'Til next time,

Audrey
​Founder/Certified Financial Education Instructor​
The FinLit Zone

ANSWER
A. Tuition reimbursement or student-loan help. Perks like birthday parties and free T-shirts are nice to have, but they don't give your finances much of a boost. However, education benefits can be worth thousands of dollars a year. They directly lower your expenses and support career advancement.

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