More than 1,400 Transition Year students in Waterford will receive a free copy of a money advice book to make them more financially savvy.
As the cost-of-living crisis deepens, John Lowe insists it is more crucial than ever that school leavers are equipped with the tools to help them to manage money.
A pilot scheme which last year saw 3,000 hard copies of Lowe’s bestselling book, Money Doctors 2021, delivered to 30 schools in Dublin, is now being replicated this month with Money Doctors 2022 ebook being rolled out to over 1,417 Transition Year students in 17 schools in Waterford for free.
Lowe’s “gift to tomorrow’s leaders” was prompted after his 19-year-old son asked him while in UCD: “What’s an overdraft Dad?”
“After this question, I knew something needed to be done to arm young people with practical money advice that’s useful in their day-to-day lives,” said the father-of-three and qualified financial adviser.
“Many young people talk enthusiastically about cryptocurrencies and NFTs, but how well do they understand basic financial terms like an overdraft?
“The 2022 edition of Money Doctors covers everything you would want to know about personal finance in Ireland and contains a chapter aimed specifically at TY students and their money.
“As many start earning with part-time jobs in Transition Year and take their first steps in handling personal finances, it is important for them to understand how money works and how to make, manage and spend it responsibly.”
The TY chapter was written in collaboration with UCD’s Dr Rachel Farrell and James Doyle, the TY co-ordinator at St Andrew’s College in Booterstown, Dublin.
It covers advice on how to make money, young people’s rights as part-time workers, managing money, opening bank accounts, getting the best return on savings and being credit wise.
Lowe, whose 2023 edition of Money Doctors is out in December, insists there is no “ulterior motive” in the gesture other than ensuring the next generation is clued into the world of finance.
“This is my gift to tomorrow’s leaders and will be an annual gift to future TY students,” he said.
687 Irish secondary schools nationwide are in the process of receiving a unique code for their school’s TY class, which will allow students to download the 2022 e-book edition for free until October 9th.
The gesture will be repeated every September.
In addition, a 148-page mini-book ‘Teenagers – You & Your Money’ will be incorporated into the 18th edition of Lowe’s upcoming book, Money Doctors 2023.
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