Monday, March 30, 2009

Child Savings Account

All parents feel protective towards their children and while this is most often for their overall safety, it can also mean helping them with money by ensuring they have a child savings account set up. Parents want their children to achieve great things and this is perfectly normal but this requires great sacrifices to be made. Many of the problems children face as hey grow older will revolve around money, or rather the lack of it, so it makes sense to start a savings account from a young age along with the standard insurance policies and bonds.

Placing money into a savings scheme with regular payments means this financial provision can start early and does not become a burden early on in their lives. Children should also learn how to save too and having an account set up for them is the best way for them to discover the benefits and how easy saving is. This can help offset the cost of tuition for college as education costs are always on the increase; or for any further education programs they might need in the future.

Often, college savings plans are promoted but ultimately these can only be used on educational needs whereas a child's savings account is not restricted in this way. Their money will always be there for them no matter what and they can withdraw it whenever they wish knowing that they will not be charged for the privilege.

Several financial institutions offer special accounts just for children, so finding one should not be a problem but, finding the best child savings account that has a comparatively high interest rate will probably require a little homework. This has been made simpler since the advent of the Internet and the many comparison sites now available which make the task simpler and much faster.

If you are able to invest a lump sum then a bond may another method of saving for your children's future because the money is tied up for a predetermined period but as a consequence the interest rate is higher than those for regular savings accounts. The downside is that the money is tied so you should split any lump sum investment you have between the longer term bond and the shorter term savings account. Usually, bonds must sit for about three years before they mature, and in many cases, much longer, before you can actually cash them in to receive full value.

Regardless of whether you decide on savings, purchasing bonds or both, you'll create a financial cushion for your children's future when they may need it most. This provision also gives you the peace of mind to know that your children will be taken care of long past your initial investments in them financially and with a little research, choosing the best one and making regular deposits into your child savings account, a strong financial foundation will be laid.