Money-Smart Mondays
Hi, I'm John Lanza. Every Monday, I share ideas to help you and your family on the money-smart journey. I created "The Money Mammals" for kids and wrote The Art of Allowance book for parents like you. Won't you join me on the money-smart journey?
Are we raising a generation of gamblers?
Money-Smart Monday with John Lanza Hello, friends, I'm back from my first Chicago Marathon. While this race wasn't a notion at the time, I understand why Frank Sinatra sang that it was "My Kind of Town." Great course. Great crowds. Like Boston, Chicago shows up. (Better October than February! 🥶) And big thanks to my wife for being my top supporter (and photographer). Now onto your Money-Smart Monday ideas. On gambling I remember when ESPN quietly added betting lines under daily scores. One...
The 4-Step Money Mistake Mantra Every Kid (And Parent) Needs
Money-Smart Monday with John Lanza Hello, friends, I'm back from a hiking trip to Olympic National Park, just north of Seattle, with two buddies from high school. The saying is true: You can't make old friends. You also can't buy the joy of standing atop Mount Storm King with those old friends while Canada Jays literally eat out of your hand. (Just don't tell the National Park Service.) But enough illicit bird feeding. It's time for my promised money-smart ideas on this Monday. Do your kids...
An Allowance Is a Gift (With Parenting Expert Barbara Coloroso)
Money-Smart Monday with John Lanza Hello, friends, Back in 2019 I read kids are worth it! by Barbara Coloroso and thought, "Someday I'd love to talk with her." Fast forward to this year: Barbara's team at Nurture reached out, and a no-brainer became a real conversation. I learn something from every podcast guest. But Barbara's voice is one that sticks—the kind that changes how you parent in the moment. So if you're a parent (or you know one), please queue up this episode now or share it with...
The “Ide(a)s of September” are here!
Money-Smart Monday with John Lanza Hello, friends, We call March 15th the "Ides of March." So let's call today, the 15th, the "Ide(a)s of September." Julius Caesar might not approve, but he's not a subscriber. Two quotes about consuming mindfully "People tend to assess the relative importance of issues by the ease with which they are retrieved from memory—and this is largely determined by the extent of coverage in the media." —Daniel Kahneman from Thinking, Fast and Slow (My notes here) "You...
Your Family's Money Habits—One Allowance Stage at a Time
Money-Smart Monday with John Lanza Hello, friends, This week I'm sharing one practical tactic from each allowance stage—Starters, Builders and Launchers—from my recent talk on raising money-smart kids. Starters (Ages 4–8): Saving for Goals Saving for goals is one of the three core money-smart skills I highlight in The Art of Allowance. When you shift money control from you to your children, conversations become easier. The next time they get a case of the "I want its!" at Target or on Amazon,...
Raising money-smart kids? Join my free class Thursday!
Money-Smart Monday with John Lanza Hello, friends, My wife and I just got back from moving our older daughter into her new apartment. (Wish her luck. And working Wi-Fi.) She starts her job today—a big day in the Lanza household! I'm teaching this Thursday Texans Credit Union is hosting my complimentary, one-hour online class for parents who want to raise money-smart kids. ➡️ [Register Here] It's the perfect way to kick off an allowance program or pick up fresh tips to strengthen the...
Want to know how one CEO is financially empowering today's youth?
Money-Smart Monday with John Lanza Hello, friends, I'm back from surprisingly not-so-sweltering Savannah, where I spoke to some terrific credit union folks at the SRCUS conference. More on that event below. But first, my latest podcast episode is fresh off the griddle—and served with a side of unsolicited wisdom. Step into the mind of a forward-thinking CEO Steve Bugg and his future-focused team at Great Lakes Credit Union have been working with us since 2021. Steve is an impressively clear...
What if success is just ... feeling good about ourselves?
Money-Smart Monday with John Lanza Hello, friends, I'm preparing for two hour-long presentations at the 2025 Southeast Regional Directors' Conference next week. The first is new: a keynote on "The Unstoppable Power of Habits." The second, "Kids These Days," is about helping credit unions connect with Gen Z and Gen Alpha (and their parents). You can find out more about both on my speaker page. These presentations require a LOT of prep—which is both exciting and exhausting—so I'm going to keep...
What's missing from your kid's financial education?
Money-Smart Monday with John Lanza Hello, friends, I appreciate your attention, and I hope you find this week's newsletter useful. Open head & pour in knowledge Our school systems are mostly designed around a flawed paradigm: Send kids to class. Open their brains. Pour in knowledge. Apply some discipline. And voilĂ ! The knowledge sticks. Though many educators strive for interactive learning, standardized tests and classroom structures still reinforce passive absorption and rote memorization...
More Wisdom from the "Godfather of Financial Independence" and the LinkedIn Post of the Year
Money-Smart Monday with John Lanza Hello, friends, I'm back with more wisdom from my conversation with JL Collins and his daughter, Jess, on The Art of Allowance Podcast. But before we dive into that insight, I have to share a laugh from my favorite LinkedIn post of the year. (You won't want to miss this one. I promise!) These guys nailed a persistent LinkedIn problem While I realize it's passé, if not rude, to cite Louis C.K., he was spot-on when he said we overuse the word "awesome." If we...
Hi, I'm John Lanza. Every Monday, I share ideas to help you and your family on the money-smart journey. I created "The Money Mammals" for kids and wrote The Art of Allowance book for parents like you. Won't you join me on the money-smart journey?