A Financial Letter to Teenagers
A Letter to My Teenage Nieces and Nephews About Wealth and What Changed My Financial Life as Teenager
When I was fourteen, one small thing changed my financial life forever. My older brother helped me get my first real job, not farm work or a paper route, but a position with responsibility, a schedule, a paycheque and a boss.
He also helped me open my own bank account and set up an automatic savings plan for $39.95 a month. I remember two things vividly:
$40 seemed like a lot as a 14 year old in the 1990’s. So he made it feel manageable with psychological trick of making it $39.95.
Secondly, I was so nervous I forgot my new PIN code, and was surprisingly shocked when my brother quietly whispered it to me while standing over my shoulder.
That small habit — saving consistently — set the foundation for what I’ve built and am building. I want to share these lessons with you so you can get a head start and I can pay it forward with a few extra tidbits that will make it even funner of a process. Because nothing beats watching your hard work grow, it’s gives you self confidence and reassures you through the ups and downs that you got this.
The Rules of Money No One Tells You
Memorize this. It will protect you from stress, debt, and decades of financial struggle.
1. Pay your taxes first (Automated tax account)
2. Pay yourself second (Automated savings & investment accounts).
3. Pay your bills last! (YES, That’s right - I’ll share…)
Most people do this out of order and end up broke. Doctors, lawyers, business owners, and even bankers often live paycheck to paycheck because they follow the wrong sequence and don’t have a value on wealth building, that’s why only 1-3% will actually become financially independent and wealthy.
As Warren Buffett said:
“Only when the tide goes out do you discover who has been swimming naked.”
That means when there is a crisis, you see who’s living in a House of Cards and don’t have a strong foundation.
Your Library Will Shape Your Financial Life
The books you read now can literally shape your financial future.
Books will become some your best friends. They carry timeless wisdom you can return to over the years and decades. That’s why I write and scribble all over mine.
Reading 75–100 books on a subject can give you the equivalent of a PhD in that field. So start building your financial library early, and over your life, expand it to include topics like philosophy, psychology, creativity, health, sales, and more. Often you’ll see poor people just have the bible at home, middle class people have cookbooks and magazines, and the wealthy have libraries.
Books for Teenagers to Start With
The Richest Man in Babylon – George S. Clason
Short and powerful. Teaches why saving 10% is non-negotiable.Rich Dad Poor Dad – Robert Kiyosaki
A practical guide to thinking differently about money, work, and investing.The Wealthy Barber – David Chilton
Simple, story-driven lessons on building wealth step by step.
Next Steps for Your Library
John Bogle (Anything he wrote)
The creator of the index fund who has made more millionaires than almost anyone alive or dead. This will open the doors of your mind to actually saving and investing money.Warren Buffett – Berkshire Hathaway Shareholder Letters
Clear, rational guidance from one of the greatest investors and wealthiest men in the world.
From here you can start to build your library, start with what resonates with you or with classics. Over time, these books and ideas will become part of your conversations, and your approach to life and money.
Grounded Wealth Principles
Simple and practical advice that takes out the fear and anxiety around money and finances.
1. Saving carries no risk.
You can always withdraw money. Storing it is safe; spending it carelessly is risky.
2. Until you value yourself, the world will not value you.
Saving is not about money. It’s about self-respect, discipline, and building your future. You’ll attract more quality friends, clients and projects to work on if your not desperate to take anything becaue you need to survive and pay the bills (Live a life of inspiration not desperation).
3. Earn the right to take risks.
Stair step your way to wealth (Earning, Saving, Investing and then Specualting). Build a 3–6 month cushion of living expenses before investing. After learning to invest into solid businesses at a fair price. Then earn the right to put a small portion of your assets into speculative (gamble) higher risk investments.
4. Your values determine your wealth.
If wealth building is not in your top priorities, you will never sustain it. Your time, energy, money, habits, and goals reflect what you truly value. So think about it, strategizes around it and study it.
5. Compound interest is the quiet engine of wealth.
Einstein called it, “The eighth wonder of the world.” So let your money work for you, otherwise you’ll spend your entire life working for it.
6. Increase your savings gradually.
Start with 10% or a number you can manage but still pushes you. Then increase that by 10% quarterly (every three months). For example, if you save $100 per month:
Jan–March: $100
April–June: $110
July–Sept: $121
Oct–Dec: $133.10
Instead of $100 a month for 12 months ($1,200), you end the year with $1,448.07 because your money is earning money, and your pushing yourself. As maximum growth and develop occurs on that fine line of support and challenge.
7. Two things are guaranteed: death and taxes.
Benjamin Franklin said: “In this world nothing is certain except death and taxes.” That’s why it’s wisdom to plan and pay your taxes. And get grateful for paying them as they provide the roads, and infrastructure we all share. Business people want to minimize their taxes, becaue they belive they can do more with their money for themslves, their families, their city, their state, country and world. That’s why they legally take advantage of the opportunities the government provides minimize what they pay.
Pay your taxes and live your life according to your values.
8. No one wakes up to fulfill your dreams.
People will tell you what to do, but rarely help you build your future. There are expectations people place on your for money be it your parents, extended family, bosses or employers. Create a life by design, so you don’t have to live a life by duty according to other people.
9. You don’t need to time the market.
Spend time in the market. Dollar-cost average. Be consistent, rather than having to try to hit home runs. Just slowly and methodically chip away at your vision.
“Most people overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in ten years.” — Bill Gates
10. Automate. Automate. Automate.
Companies automate your subscriptions. Your phone bill, care insurance etc. Consider taking a page out of what works best, and automate your savings and investments.
11. Study John Bogle.
John Bogle created a system that allows regular people to become wealthy without being finance experts. His approach will make you question Wall Street. Remember, the greatest investor of all time, Warren Buffett, doesn’t live in New York among the glittering towers of the financial elite — he lives in Omaha, Nebraska.
I lost a lot of money in my teenage years and early twenties because of management fees from banks. I helped make account executives, bankers, and banks wealthy — that’s why they have the tallest, most impressive towers. Meanwhile, my profits were eaten up by fees, stripping away decades of potential compounding.
I wish I had learned about John Bogle and low-cost index funds sooner instead of being lured by what I call “shiny financial pornography”: thick, glossy charts and graphs showing how your money grows — designed to impress, not to maximize your wealth.
To prove this point, Warren Buffett famously made a $1,000,000 bet showing that no investment banker could outperform a simple S&P 500 index (specifically the Vanguard 500 Index Fund) over ten years. Buffett won.
12. Visualize your future.
Use templates, tables, or charts to forecast your wealth. Seeing it activates your prefrontal cortex and moves you from impulse to long-term strategy. You’ll be less likely to be a consumer and more likely to build your own brand. More importantly you’ll see sharks from a mile away.
13. Don’t do public math
Know your numbers but keep the numbers to yourself, and your financial fiduciaries. Don’t over delegate your power and authority away, that how people get swindled. Be the captain of your destiny.
14. You’ll Have Setbacks, But Stay Focused on the Vision
I was inspired by John Templeton, who saved 50% of every dollar he earned, and I adopted that principle myself. I put 50 cents of every dollar directly into savings and investments. I maximized every strategy I could, and in doing so, I learned a valuable lesson: your goals and vision aren’t set in stone. They are meant to expand and grow with you; otherwise, life will continue bringing challenges designed to repurpose you.
When someone says they are “successful,” I often pause. Being at the top means there’s only one direction left to go: down. The universe favors order and structure; it follows the path of least resistance. I am far more inspired by men and women who are on a mission and pursuing a vision, rather than temporary feats of success.
That’s why it’s important not to take credit or blame, but to stay focused on the overall aim and vision for your life. At the end of the day, it’s about uncovering the hidden power of love, maintaining an unconditional state, and seeing all sides of pleasure and pain. It’s about being able to say “thank you” and “I love you” to your family, friends, clients, enemies, and to life itself.
Wealth is a part of a Spiritual Pursuit
This is not just about money.
Your spiritual and material wealth are two sides of the same coin.
There is an ancient Egyptian cosmological motif that many Egyptologists summarize with the philosophy:
“Spirit without matter is motionless; matter without spirit has no meaning.”
This idea reflects Ma’at, creation, and the interplay of spirit (ka) and matter (the physical world / body).
Ka = the life force or spiritual essence
Ba = personality or soul
Physical matter / body = necessary for the ka and ba to manifest in the world
Summary and Key Takeway
If anyone tells you that you’re too young to care about money, your future, or your potential, listen to your own inner voice and intuition. Challenges — even the ones that feel unfair or impossible — are hidden blessings. They help you grow, become independent, and discover your own strength. Often, those who care for us the most — parents, teachers, mentors — may unintentionally hold us back, keeping us “safe” but limiting how far we can reach. The world isn’t set up to automatically empower you; mastery, growth, and freedom are yours to claim.
Your vision, effort, and habits are in your hands. Financial literacy, saving, investing, and building your knowledge are not just about money — they’re about expanding your awareness, mastering your human potential, and living a life aligned with your values.
This post shares timeless, practical principles — from automating savings and understanding compounding, to studying the wisdom of people like John Bogle, Warren Buffett, and John Templeton — in a way that is fun, empowering, and actionable. It also emphasizes that setbacks are part of the journey. Goals and vision aren’t fixed; they grow with you. Staying focused on your mission, rather than temporary success or failures, allows you to navigate challenges with resilience and purpose.
Some lessons and mentors stay in our hearts forever. I want you to experience that state of unconditional love for your life, and I know that wealth can help you get there. The word “wealth” itself comes from the idea of well-being and wholeness. True wealth is multidimensional: financial wealth, family wealth, business wealth, health, spiritual wealth, and social wealth. These are all within your reach when you value yourself first.
It doesn’t matter where you start — what matters is where you finish. It’s never too early and never too late. Think of saving like a muscle: the more you practice it, the stronger it gets. Develop the habit of saving, investing, and pursuing your vision, and you’ll build power over your future while mastering resilience and growth.
