Marilyn Pinto’s book ‘Smarter Richer Braver’ explains the importance of financial literacy targeting parents of teenagers and young adults
RAMANDEEP KAUR | NT KURIOCITY
Tell us more about ‘Smarter Richer Braver’.
Most youngsters, after finishing school, lack financial literacy and are easy prey to financial scams, student debt, high-interest credit, bad investments and dubious money-making schemes. This book helps parents empower their kids to take control of their finances and make educated decisions about how to use their money. If you’re looking for an inspirational, feel-good book about parenting, this isn’t it. If you’re looking for a book that will give you three hot tips that will transform your teens into financial gurus, then again this isn’t it.
However, if you’re looking for a book that has some hard truths and valuable insights about why our teens are so clueless about money, how important this skill is, the ways it will transform their thinking and lives, what to look for in a good financial education programme, the common mistakes to avoid, and a blueprint of how to financially empower them while keeping your sanity, then this is exactly the book for you.
How did the idea of ‘Smarter Richer Braver’ come about?
There is a quote by Toni Morrison, which says, “If there’s a book you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.” This is a book I wish my parents had read and that I would want to read as a parent so I’d be better equipped to empower my kids with this critical life skill. I wrote this book in three months. It was a target I had set and it took a lot of discipline to achieve. I also had the unstinting support of my husband, who took on more than his fair share of responsibilities so that I could get this done. Even though I wrote the book in three months, it was based on the insights and experience I gained over the last five years of teaching children and teens this important skill.
Have you always harboured an interest in writing?
My interest has always been in reading and I suppose this was a natural extension of that, coupled with my curiosity about the issue of financial education, or rather the lack of it. I write to clarify my thoughts and streamline my thinking. It helps me implement my ideas better and structures the actions around that.
Who is your target audience for this book?
Parents of teens and young adults are my target audience. The book details the dangers these kids will face if they aren’t equipped with this critical skill and what parents should do about it. The book explains why youngsters are clueless about money, and why we can’t wait or expect the education system to deal with this. It also explains the five-step framework we use to teach these youngsters about money.
How did you go about researching and deciding on the content you wanted to include in the book?
I read other books, journals and white papers on financial literacy. The idea that most youngsters grow up without learning this key skill baffled me and I dug deep into why this was happening and why nothing was being done to stop it. I’m a parent to two teenage girls and I researched and wrote about ideas and issues that I’d be interested in reading about with regard to this topic.
Any new books in the pipeline?
Not in the immediate future as I now want to focus on bringing this education to more youngsters and creating a deep social impact.