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Understanding the importance of financial literacy is crucial for building and maintaining wealth throughout life. But where does one learn it?
Although financial education isn’t universally included in standard curricula, the benefits of starting early on a financial literacy journey are undeniable. While some states, like California, offer financial education electives, it often remains an optional subject for many students.
Tanya Van Court, founder and CEO of Goalsetter, a FinTech platform dedicated to teaching kids and families the value of financial literacy, joins this week's episode of Financial Freestyle with Ross Mac.
Van Court, the daughter of an elementary school teacher in Oakland, California, has a career background in marketing and education at media organizations like Nickelodeon, Discovery, and ESPN. She explains that Goalsetter is “all about how we transform your kids from senders and spenders of money into savers and investors of money.”
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The inspiration for Goalsetter came on her daughter’s ninth birthday when Van Court wrestled with what to get her as a present. “She said, ‘Mommy, I know exactly what I want for my ninth birthday,’ ” recounts Van Court. “She said, ‘I want two things: enough money to save for an investment account and a bike.’”
Although Van Court never aspired to be an entrepreneur, she realized, “If I can get every kid out there to say that, I can change the world.”
With her experience creating engaging, gamified educational content, Van Court saw an opportunity to address the financial education space, which often relies on dry, dense material—even for adults.
“In order for kids to transform and get excited about learning, they needed to be presented with something that was exciting to them. And I knew I could do that with my background,” said Van Court.
Goalsetter offers the “Cashola” card, a debit card paired with financial education. Kids must complete weekly financial literacy quizzes to access the card's funds. “We are really proud of how our kids are learning, and they are completely transforming their relationship with money,” says Van Court.
Financial Freestyle with Ross Mac on Yahoo Finance is dedicated to promoting economic prosperity for all. Through expert insights, practical advice, and inspiring success stories, we empower you to build and grow wealth. Join us on this transformative journey toward financial freedom and inclusive economic growth.
This post was written by John Tejada.