Note: FPL = federal poverty line
Source: Child Trends analysis of a 2025 survey of parents/caregivers with a child ages 8–18. * Statistically significant difference across that subgroup’s categories (p < .05). Differences by race and ethnicity and by child’s gender are not statistically significant. The survey was administered in English only and may not represent the experiences of parents who are not yet fluent in English.
While substantial majorities of parents have talked to their children about finances regardless of household income, child age, race or ethnicity, and child gender, conversations are somewhat more common among higher-income households and parents of older children. Ninety-one percent of parents in households at or above 200 percent of the federal poverty line reported ever talking with their child about money or finances, compared to 83 percent of households below that threshold. Parents were also more likely to have talked with their child about money or finances if their child was older: 92 percent of parents with a child ages 15–18 had done so, compared to 87 percent of parents with a child ages 12–14 and 79 percent of parents with a child ages 8–11. The percentage of parents who had talked with their child about money or finances was similar for Black, Hispanic, and White parents, and did not differ by child gender.
Parents who have not yet talked with their children about money often plan to do so in the future.
Among parents who reported that they had not yet had conversations with their children, 38 percent indicated that they thought their child was too young; 35 percent reported that they planned to talk about money or finances with their child in the future.
Figure 2: Most parents who have not yet talked with their child about money say it is a matter of timing
Percentage of parents citing each reason for not yet talking with their child about money or finances, among parents who have not yet done so (N≈105–119)
Source: www.childtrends.org
