Super for Kids: Introducing kids to the concepts of Super

Among the many financial concepts we juggle as adults, superannuation stands out as the cornerstone of retirement planning in Australia. Yet, the term ‘superannuation’ often brings to mind a maze of complex terms that many find daunting.

This article provides ways you can transform superannuation from a puzzling concept into an exciting part of your child’s financial education –

Introducing… Super Accounts

Imagine if you had a magical treasure chest where every coin you put inside would continue to grow and grow until one day you could open the chest, stop working, and live happily ever after!

This is the essence of a superannuation account – a special kind of savings account designed for your retirement.

What is a Super Account?

From the moment you start working, a portion of your earnings from your employer (called the ‘Superannuation Guarantee’) begins to flow into your super account. These contributions are kept safe and sound, slowly growing through investments over the course of your working life.

Learning Activity

To help your child grasp this concept, consider using a clear jar as a visual aid. Each time they complete a chore, contribute a small amount to the jar, explaining that this is similar to how super accounts grow over time with contributions from work.

The Hungry Hungry Hippos of Super

Imagine each of your super accounts as a Hungry Hungry Hippo where each hippo (super account) is hungry for your marbles (money).

Just like in the classic game, where each hippo tries to gobble up as many marbles as possible, every super account has fees that “eat” into your savings.

Consolidating Your Hippos

Now imagine if instead of having four separate Hippos, you could have one big Hippo that was more efficient and ate fewer marbles overall.

This is the essence of consolidating your super accounts. By transferring all your savings into one super account, you’re reducing the number of Hippos that are eating your marbles (meaning more marbles for them!).

Learning Activity

Take the jar from the first Learning Activity and introduce a Hungry Hungry Hippo. Each week, your child will need to feed one marble to the hippo.

Remind them that if they had three hippos (super accounts), they would need three marbles to keep them all fed.

The Hunt for Super Treasures

Imagine a grand adventure in treasure hunting.

This adventure is filled with paths of varying difficulty, with some paths offering smaller treasures that are easier to find (low risk, low return) and other paths with larger treasures, guarded by more challenges and uncertainties (high risk, return).

The Safe Shoreline (Low Risk, Low Return)

Near the shoreline, treasure is often found in the shallow waters. It’s easy to reach and doesn’t require much effort, but the treasures are modest.

This is akin to investing in bonds or savings accounts, where your investment is safer but yields lower returns.

The Mysterious Jungle (Medium Risk, Medium Return)

At the edge of the shoreline is a jungle. The jungle is tougher to navigate, but it has hidden treasures that offer better rewards.

These are like balanced funds, where the risk and the return are moderate, appealing to those who seek a bit more adventure but aren’t ready for the highest peaks.

The Mountain of Legends (High Risk, High Return)

Farthest from the shore is a mountain where the largest treasures are said to be hidden. To reach them, you’ll face steep climbs and uncertain paths. You might even get lost and need to retrace your steps.

This is similar to high-risk investments like stocks, where the potential for high returns is significant but the ride will be a bit bumpy.

Learning Activity

To help your child grasp this concept, use three cups to represent the different paths.

• Cup 1: Add one marble to the cup and place it one meter away from the starting line.
• Cup 2: Add two marbles to the cup and place two meters away from the starting line.
• Cup 3: Add nine marbles to the cup and place three meters away from the starting line.

Offer your child the marbles from their jar and ask them to try to throw them into one of the three cups.

Discuss the relationship between risk and return—how cup one might be the easiest to get, but it only offers one marble, and how cup three offers a lot of marbles, but would be harder to get.

Summary

Empowering your children with the knowledge of superannuation is more than just a lesson in finances. By breaking down these concepts into understandable, relatable pieces, we can help our children feel confident about taking control of their financial future from a young age.