​April is National Financial Literacy Month, and it’s the perfect time to start talking with your children—no matter how young—about financial basics. Although many schools are beginning to teach personal financial education, research shows that most children determine their attitudes about money by the fifth grade. So it’s imperative as a parent to take matters into your own hands to help set your child on the path to financial success.

​April is National Financial Literacy Month. It’s the perfect time to start talking to your kids about financial education and basic money matters. Parents are responsible for setting their children off on the right financial foot. However, research shows that only one-third of parents discuss financial issues with their kids. Additionally, only one out of seven parents believe their children have a solid understanding of financial matters.

​April is National Financial Literacy Month, which makes now an ideal time to start planning activities that will support the national focus on financial education. The Pennsylvania Association of Community Bankers encourages parents, teachers and community leaders to shine a spotlight on this important topic in April and throughout the year.

By making financial education a family priority, children learn the value of budgeting, saving, investing and using credit wisely. For many, the path to financial success starts in the home, often by watching their parents’ buying decisions for the household. The following tips can provide the foundation necessary to help children make sound financial decisions for the rest of their lives.

​April is Community Banking Month and as such, it’s an ideal time to show support and patronage of your local community. Shopping and banking locally have personal and economic benefits. In many towns throughout the country, once-thriving main streets have been replaced by strip malls and retail outlets. The quaint subtleties of shopping “in town” have been exchanged for trips to behemoth shopping centers that clutter the sides of nearby interstate highways. However, the movement of the past decade towards a “bigger is better” mindset in doing business has been challenged by the recent economic downturn. Now, more and more consumers are looking to ditch the big guys and go back to local businesses that more directly impact their community. So, what are the benefits of buying and banking locally?