March 3, 2026

Why I Gave My Nephew a Deposit Instead of a Birthday Gift

One birthday, my nephew didn’t get a gift. He got a deposit. Instead of more toys or gadgets, I put $100 into an account for him every birthday and Christmas. And once he was old enough, we talked through what that money was doing and why it mattered.

That’s the part most people skip.

Table of Contents

The Real Problem

People get weird about trust funds. But the issue isn’t kids having money. It’s kids getting money with zero understanding.

If you put away $200/month for a kid (or even $100), over time it becomes meaningful. Not “never work again” money. But real, life-opening options.

Capital Needs Context

The difference-maker is the conversation that runs alongside the capital:

Why the money exists
What compounding actually means
Where it’s invested (and why)
What responsibility comes with it

Because capital without context is where things go sideways.

If you want to brush up on the basics, I put together a list of 30 finance terms every business owner should know.

Making It Personal

With my nephew, the conversation got personal fast:

He liked sports, so we looked at Nike and Under Armour. He liked video games, so we talked about gaming companies. And yes, he loved the meme stock craze with GameStop. Where my diamond hands at!

Money stopped being mysterious. It became specific.

Conversations Evolve

Now he’s in trade school, and our conversations sound like:

Will AI replace parts of your job?
What infrastructure still has to exist no matter what?
Where does opportunity move next?

That doesn’t happen if money stays taboo.

The Real Goal

The goal isn’t raising rich kids. It’s raising kids who understand money before they’re forced to learn the hard way.

Here’s the thing: starting small and having real conversations about money can shape how the next generation thinks about finances. Whether it’s $100 or $200 a month, the deposits matter less than the dialogue.

If you could teach one concept first, whether it’s budgeting, saving, investing, or earning, what would it be?