The Art of Allowance Podcast | Parenting | Families | Money Smarts | Financial Literacy

In this engaging conversation, renowned parenting consultant Barbara Coloroso dives into her wealth of expertise with host John Lanza. She outlines three family types—brick wall, jellyfish, and backbone—emphasizing the need for a balanced approach in parenting. Barbara introduces her allowance philosophy: teaching kids to spend, save, and share from an early age. She also discusses the importance of allowing children to learn from mistakes and transitioning from parent to guide. Her insights on motivation and discipline are eye-opening!

In this Art of Allowance Podcast episode, host John Lanza speaks with guest Steve Bugg about what it takes to build money-smart families and communities. Steve is the CEO of Great Lakes Credit Union, one of our partners engaging kids and empowering parents through The Money Mammals powered by The Art of Allowance. He and John discuss the role of technology in financial education, the challenges of connecting with schools and the future of credit unions in promoting financial literacy. Steve also shares how his approach to teaching financial responsibility has evolved from parenting to grandparenting, emphasizing the value of starting early and building strong money habits. Steve Bugg is the President and CEO of Great Lakes Credit Union, which boasts over 100,000 members in Northern Illinois. After working in the banking and telecommunications industries, Steve joined the credit union movement 17 years ago. His dedication to serving underserved markets through financial literacy, housing counseling and community partnerships has led him to collaborate with numerous nonprofit and industry organizations, including the Lake County Community Foundation, Waukegan Public Library, Illinois Credit Union League Legislative Committee and National Credit Union Foundation Fundraising Committee. A University of Evansville graduate, Steve is a passionate advocate for improving the financial well-being of low- and moderate-income households.

In this Art of Allowance Podcast episode, host John Lanza welcomes JL Collins and his daughter, Jess, for a conversation about financial independence and family money lessons. They discuss the principles of JL's bestseller, The Simple Path to Wealth, the process of writing and updating the book and the importance of teaching kids about money from a young age. John, JL and Jess also explore investing in index funds, navigating stock market fluctuations and why JL feels homeownership is misunderstood as an investment. Additionally, they address the challenges of maintaining smart money habits, the evolving perspective of Jess’s financial journey and the power of values-based spending. JL Collins, often called the "Godfather of Financial Independence," has been investing in the stock market for five decades. He developed a worldwide following through his popular blog and his first book, The Simple Path to Wealth. This title has sold over a million copies across twenty languages and is now a New York Times bestseller. Jess Collins is known as the "little girl who wouldn't listen," a nickname given to her by JL in his blog and books. From a young age, Jess began learning (perhaps against her will) about index funds, dividends and investments at the Collins family's kitchen table. Now in her 30s, she uses The Simple Path to Wealth to pave her way to financial freedom and her own fulfilled life.

In this Art of Allowance Podcast conversation, host John Lanza speaks with guest Tony Steuer about the importance of financial preparedness for young adults, particularly new college graduates. They begin by discussing The Get Ready Blueprint, Tony’s comprehensive guide to managing finances. Tony also shares key financial tips, including the significance of insurance and the common monetary mistakes young adults make. Additionally, he and John highlight the emotional elements of financial decision-making, the role of AI in financial literacy and the importance of asking the right questions to build confidence in financial matters. Tony Steuer is an internationally recognized financial preparedness advocate, award-winning author, podcaster and fintech advisor who is changing the way people think about money. Tony developed The Get Ready Money Club and hosts The Get Ready Money Podcast to empower and educate people on all areas of personal finance. He is also an expert content reviewer for NerdWallet and Bankrate, a member of The Forbes Advisor Insurance Advisory Board and a five-time recipient of The Institute for Financial Literacy’s “Excellence in Financial Literacy Education” Award.

During this episode of The Art of Allowance Podcast, host John Lanza speaks with guest Josh Golin about the evolving landscape of children's online safety, the importance of limiting kids’ screen time and the legislative efforts aimed at protecting children from harmful digital marketing practices. They discuss the challenges families face in managing screen time, the significance of early childhood education and the need for collective action among parents to advocate for change. Josh shares personal experiences raising his daughter commercial-free and emphasizes the importance of instilling values around money and media consumption in children. He also highlights the urgency of supporting legislation like the Children and Teens' Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0) and the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) to create a safer digital environment for children. Josh Golin is the Executive Director of Fairplay, an organization dedicated to protecting children from exploitative practices by marketers and Big Tech. Under his leadership, Fairplay has influenced major changes at platforms like YouTube, Instagram and Amazon. Josh has testified before Congress and regularly speaks to parents, policymakers and professionals about children’s media health. He also has appeared on Good Morning America and Fox News and in The New York Times and The Washington Post. He lives in Vermont with his wife, teenage daughter and dog.

During this episode of The Art of Allowance Podcast, host John Lanza speaks with guest Courtney Fulmer, the newly appointed President/Chief Executive Officer of SECNY Federal Credit Union. They begin by discussing the opportunities credit unions have to combat America’s “financial illiteracy epidemic” and the role these institutions play in providing psychological support to their members. Courtney then shares how her journey teaching her son money smarts evolved, how her family influenced her financial decision-making and how her colorguard experiences impacted her credit union leadership. She also emphasizes the need for empathy and community support when offering financial education. Courtney Fulmer is the President/Chief Executive Officer of SECNY Federal Credit Union in Syracuse, NY. She has worked at this institution for over 20 years in various operations, marketing and business development roles. Courtney initiated youth programming at SECNY, which has been a Money Mammals and an Art of Allowance Project partner for nearly a decade. She is also a colorguard staff instructor for her high school alma mater and serves as Secretary of the New York State Field Band Conference. Courtney received her degree in Public Relations from Syracuse University and resides in Syracuse with her husband and teenage son.

In this Art of Allowance Podcast episode, host John Lanza speaks with guest Diana Graber about the challenges of and the strategies for raising kids in a digital world. They discuss understanding children’s developmental readiness for technology, emphasizing ethical thinking in digital spaces and balancing the risks and the benefits of an online presence. Diana highlights the importance of teaching teens to protect their finances digitally via privacy measures and scam avoidance and the dangers of oversharing online. (Both kids and adults are guilty!) She and John also explore the need for parents to advocate for digital education in schools, especially through peer learning opportunities. Diana Graber is the author of Raising Humans in a Digital World: Helping Kids Build a Healthy Relationship with Technology and the founder of Cyberwise and Cyber Civics, two organizations devoted to digital literacy. She developed and still teaches Cyber Civics, the popular middle school digital literacy program currently in use in the US and across the globe. Diana has appeared on The Today Show and NBC Nightly News as well as in The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. She has a B.A. in Communication Studies from UCLA and an M.A. in Media Psychology and Social Change from Fielding Graduate University.

In this special episode, host John Lanza teams up with Stacking Benjamins Podcast host and previous Art of Allowance Podcast guest Joe Saul-Sehy to interview author Jon Acuff. These three dads discuss parenting challenges and strategies, particularly regarding teaching teens about money and life skills. They also explore the importance of empathy when parenting, the role of repetition in financial education and the value of kids’ seeking guidance from other adults. Their conversation emphasizes the need for parents to be open about their own money mistakes and to create a supportive environment in which their children can learn and grow. It also touches on the significance of self-awareness and the impact of overthinking in parenting. Jon Acuff is a New York Times bestselling author whose newest book is How Teens Win. He is also an INC Magazine Top 100 Leadership speaker who has spoken to hundreds of thousands of people at conferences and in companies around the world. Jon’s highly engaged social media followers and email subscribers look to him for his unique blend of humor, honesty and hope. He lives outside of Nashville, Tennessee, with his wife and two teenage daughters, with whom he co-wrote How Teens Win.

Host John Lanza and guest Erin McNeill discuss the importance of starting the media literacy conversation with children early, just like parents can do with the financial literacy conversation. Erin explains that kids are likely willing to understand and decode the myriad media messages they face. She even suggests that parents have conversations with teachers about integrating media literacy into classrooms and advocate for it to become a required skill taught in schools, just like reading and math. Erin and John also highlight the importance of digital wellness, the process of helping kids recognize targeted marketing, the connection between media literacy and financial literacy and the challenges and opportunities presented by AI. Erin McNeill is the CEO and Founder of Media Literacy Now. She established this nonprofit in 2013 to address the messages her children were receiving through cartoons and advertisements. Erin and Media Literacy Now are leading the grassroots movement to ensure all students learn the 21st-century media literacy skills they need for health, well-being, economic participation and citizenship.  

Host John Lanza talks with guest Andy Hill about the journey from burdensome debt to financial freedom and, in particular, navigating such an experience with kids. Andy explains what his allowance system entails, how to communicate the power of compound interest and why he thinks modeling matters most when teaching money smarts. He also shares how he and his wife made changes in their own lives to be better financial models for their children, especially in the area of giving. Additionally, John and Andy discuss raising money-smart kids in spite of financial shame, having open money conversations, introducing the flex allowance, explaining good and bad debt, celebrating money wins and building up generosity. Andy Hill is the award-winning family finance coach behind Marriage Kids and Money, a platform dedicated to helping families build wealth and happiness. Andy's advice has been featured on or in CNBC, Forbes, MarketWatch, Kiplinger Personal Finance and NBC News. With millions of podcast downloads and video views, Andy’s message of family financial empowerment resonates globally.