essays on talking money

TALKING MONEY-A Study Guide To A Silent Song And Other Stories

Guide to the story silent song, talking money by stanley gazemba – kenya.

About the author:

Stanley Gazemba was born in 1974 in Vihiga, Kenya. Stanley Gazemba has published three novels: The Stone Hills of Maragoli (Kwani, winner of the 2003 Jomo Kenyatta Prize for fiction, published in the U.S. as Forbidden Fruit), Khama (DigitalBackBooks), and Callused Hands (Nsemia). He has also published eight children’s books, of which A Scare in the Village (Oxford Univ. Press) won the 2015 Jomo Kenyatta Prize for children’s fiction. Gazemba’s fiction has appeared in ‘A’ is for Ancestors, a collection of short stories from the Caine Prize (Jacana); Africa39: New Writing From Africa South of the Sahara (Bloomsbury); Ihe Literary Review (Fairleigh Dickinson Univ.); Man of the

House and Other New Short Stories from Kenya (CCC Press); Crossing Borders online magazine; among other publications.

As a journalist, Gazemba has written for The New York Times, The East African,

Msanii magazine, Sunday Nation, and Saturday Nation. Gazemba was the International Fellow at the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference in 2007. Gazemba lives in Nairobi, where he is the editor of Ketebul Music.

1. Mukidanyi dismisses his elder brothers. (p49 – 50).

A colli rchensive and dctailcd uidc to a silent son and other stories

• The arrival of Galo and his lawyer for negotiation. (p50 52).
• The disturbing night of evil spirits. (p53 56).

Talking money is a story about Mukidanyi, a furious young man and a cattle trader who ignores his elder brothers’ warning against selling his land. The story is set in the vast rural expanse of Kakamega, Kenya. Mukidanyi’s brothers Ngoseywe and

Agoya give up on him and leave. Obsessed with money in his mind, he refuses to heed his wife’s counsel and instead flogs her.

When his clients arrive, he receives them warmly, showing them the fertile land and offers to help where necessary. They then negotiate without a tussle, for they accept his first offer without haggling. He takes the huge amount of money without counting it and signs the papers with his thumbprint, for he had played truant and naughty when his father, Kizungu, tried to take him to school.

Enthusiastic and excited about the money, he cannot sleep until he is attacked by voices at night, which his wife tells him are evil spirits. He almost runs mad as his wife laughs at him. Overwhelmed by nervousness and fear of the demons, he returns all the money to the Galos and flees back to his house.

Questions for reflection on ‘Title’ of the story and themes.

• How relevant is the title of the story, Talking moneym
• Why do you think the money given to Mukidanyi “talks’ only at night while in his custody?
• Do you think the Galos are responsible for the talking of the money?
• Primitive superstition on sources of wealth.
• Obsession with money and the power of guilt.
• Importance of consultation on family property.

THEMATIC CONCERNS

Ethnocentric beliefs in spirits.

The concept of social superstition rooted in people’s culture is linked with belief in good and bad luck as a context-derived concept affects the people of that culture in various aspects.

Although the concept of superstition is common, many of its features and aspects are still unclear. Some questions about these beliefs remain baffling and unanswered. Engulfed with immense doubt, Mukidanyi decides to obey his wife’s words and beliefs about the Galos. (p50).

• At night, the hour of witches, viganda haunt Mukidanyi. He hears voices speaking, and he believes they are not dreaming voices. (p54).
• Then his wife Ronika scoldingly tells him those are certainly viganda spirits speaking. (p54).

Ronika takes advantage of her husband’s extreme fear and makes more fun of him. She reassures him that the Galos’ money is speaking in the briefcase under the bed. (p54).

• Confident and sure that he is terrified, she shouts and scoffs at him to take the money out. “Go with your devil money this very minute and find somewhere else to keep it but not in this house, you hear?” (p55).

Obsession with money and the power of guilt

• The tough speaking and abusive man is now humbled and reduced to a whispering weakling.
• Definitely, the warnings are ricocheting in his mind because of his guilt and failure to consult before beginning the process of selling his land.
• Scared by the unseen demons, Mukidanyi flees back to the Galos, returning all the money. (p55, 56).
• He changes his mind. He is only left with his wife to trust, and his house is the only refuge at this ‘hour of witches’.

1. Using evidence from the text, describe the character traits of the following characters.

Style and Language use

• How is sarcasm employed in Stanley Gazemba’s Talking Money?
• Examine the use of dialogue and native dialect in Talking Money.

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Essays About Money: Top 5 Examples and 6 Prompts

With money comes great power; however, power must always come with responsibility. Discover thought-provoking essays about money in our guide.

Money is everywhere. We use it to eat, drink, clothe ourselves, and get shelter, among many other uses. Nowadays, it is an undisputed fact that “money makes the world go round.” The earliest known form of money dates back to around 5,000 years ago ; trade was previously carried out using a barter system. However, over the centuries, more and more nations began implementing a currency system, and money has become more critical. 

In the contemporary world, it seems to be “all about money.” However, it is important not to lose sight of what is important; we must maintain good physical and mental health and healthy relationships with the people around us. Money is necessary; it is just not the only thing necessary. To start your essay, read these examples to write insightful essays about money. 

5 Top Examples On Essay About Money

1. essay on money by prasanna, 2. how money changed human history by jacob wilkins, 3. capitalism: money that make money by ernestine montgomery, 4.  is money the most important thing by seth higgins.

• 5. ​​An Introduction to Saving Money by Jeremy Vohwinkle

Writing Prompts For Essays About Money

1. good uses for money, 2. the “dark side” of money, 3. money’s role in history, 4. morality vs. money, 5. can money buy happiness, 6. how to save money.

“Imagine the world without money. We will eventually come to a point where we will be asking questions like “what’s the point of life”. Hope and goals are some of the important things that will keep a man going in life. Without any sense of achievement or motivation, there wouldn’t be any inventions or progress in the world. People work to get money and then people work harder to get more money. This cycle of life that keeps a man motivated and hopeful is one of the biggest advantages of the system of money”

This essay gives readers a general outlook on money and its advantages and disadvantages. It gives people equal opportunity to work for their dreams and motivates them to be productive members of society, while it also raises the question of greed. Money, without a doubt, has its positive and negative aspects, but it exists and is only becoming more critical.

“But the barter economy was flawed. There was no universal measure for determining the value of an item. It was all based on the subjective opinion of the individuals involved. And to make matters worse, the barter economy relied on both sides wanting something the other had to offer. Trade, therefore, could be sluggish and frustrating. Human beings needed something different, and money was the answer.”

Wilkins writes about how money revolutionized the way trade was conducted. The barter system involved trading any objects if both parties agreed to a deal, such as trading animal skins for fish or medicine for timber. However, the only measure of an item’s value was how much one party wanted it- both sides needed to have something the other wanted. The introduction of money allowed people to put a solid value on commodities, making trade easier.  

“So, if you were to closely observe the dirty, disordered canvas of economic progress during the 20th and 21 st century, you should conclude that, for all its warts, capitalism has been the winner. It has sometimes caused pain; suffered from serious cycles; and often needed the clout of the state- such as we have seen from September 2008. It has also been quite resistant to sensible regulation. Even so, the basic institutions of capitalism have worked, not just in the US and the OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and development) nations, but also many developing countries, of which India is one.”

Albeit lengthy, Montgomery’s essay discusses the debate between socialism and capitalism, a topic of which money is at the core. Montgomery describes Karl Marx’s criticism of capitalism: all the money goes to a few people, not the workers. She believes these are valid to an extent and criticizes certain forms of capitalism and socialism. Neither capitalism nor socialism is perfect, but according to Montgomery, capitalism creates a better economy. 

“Being the richest man in the world does not mean you are the happiest man in the world, although money can buy you happiness sometimes, but not always. If we could all appreciate the way life is, the fun, and the beauty I think the world would be better. If people weren’t power hungry maybe we’d have a lesser demand for money. Those people who is money hungry and power hungry need to relax. Money can’t buy you happiness. These individuals need to understand that.”

Higgins implores readers to remember that money is not the only thing people need in the world. He stresses the necessity of money, as it is used to pay for various necessary goods and services; however, he believes it is not a prerequisite for happiness. Material things are temporary, and there are other things we should focus on, like family and friends. 

5. ​​ An Introduction to Saving Money by Jeremy Vohwinkle

“A financial emergency may take the form of a job loss, significant medical or dental expense, unexpected home or auto repairs, a hurricane or major storm, or something unthinkable, such as a global pandemic. The last thing you want to do is to rely on credit cards with their hefty interest fees or to be forced to take out a loan. That’s where your emergency fund can come in handy. Historically, the formula for an emergency account is to have enough readily available cash to cover three to six months of living expenses.“

Vohwinkle’s essay gives readers some suggestions on how to save more money. Most importantly, he suggests setting up an emergency fund, as all other saving techniques stem from there. He also suggests creating an automatic savings plan and cutting down on “spending leaks,” like buying coffee. You might also be interested in these essays about celebration .

In this essay, write about why money is necessary and the ways to use it for the greater good, and include ways in which it can be used (investing, donating, etc.). For each point, you make, be sure to explain why. Of course, this is entirely subjective; feel free to write about what you consider “good uses” for money. 

On the other hand, money also has a negative side —research on money-related issues, such as taxpayer-funded corruption and trading of illegal goods. In your essay, explore this side of money and perhaps give solutions on how to stop these problems. 

Money has played a progressively more important role throughout human history. Discuss the development of currency and the economy, from the barter system to the digital world we live in today. You need not go too in-depth, as there is a lot of ground to cover and many eras to research. Be sure to cite reputable sources when discussing history. 

Many people warn of “selling your soul” for financial gain. In your essay, you can write about the importance of having solid values in this day and age, where money reigns supreme. What principles do you need to keep in mind? Explain how you can still value money while staying grounded; mention the balance between material needs and others. 

As stated in Higgins’ essay, more people have begun to prioritize money over all else. Do you believe that money is truly the most important thing? Can it alone make you happy? Discuss both sides of this question and choose your position accordingly. Be sure to provide precise supporting details for a stronger argument. 

Enumerate tips on how you can save money. Anything works, from saving certain things for special occasions to buying more food in the grocery rather than eating out. This is your opinion; however, feel free to consult online sources and the people around you for extra advice. 

For help with your essays, check out our round-up of the best essay checkers .If you’re still stuck, check out our general resource of essay writing topics .

Martin is an avid writer specializing in editing and proofreading. He also enjoys literary analysis and writing about food and travel.

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260 Money Topics to Write About & Essay Examples

Looking for a topic about money? Money won’t leave anyone indifferent! There are lots of money essay topics for students to explore.

🏆 Best Money Essay Examples & Ideas

👍 good money essay topics, 💡 easy money topics to write about, 📃 interesting topics about money, 📑 good research topics about money, 📌 most interesting money topics to write about, ❓ research questions about money.

You might want to focus on the issue of money management or elaborate on why money is so important nowadays. Other exciting topics for a money essay are the relation between money and love, the role of money in education, etc. Below you’ll find a list of money topics to write about! These ideas can also be used for discussions and presentations. Money essay examples are a nice bonus to inspire you even more!

• Can Money Buy You Happiness? First of all, given that happiness is related to the satisfaction of personal needs, there is also a need to consider the essential need of human life such as housing, medicine, and food.
• Connection Between Money and Happiness Critical analysis of money-happiness relationship shows that socioeconomic factors determine the happiness of an individual; therefore, it is quite unsatisfactory to attribute money as the only factor and determinant of happiness.
• I Don’t Believe Money Can Buy Happiness This shows that as much as money is essential in acquisition and satisfaction of our needs, it does not guarantee our happiness by its own and other aspects of life have to be incorporated to […]
• Money, Happiness and Relationship Between Them The research conducted in the different countries during which people were asked how satisfied they were with their lives clearly indicated the existence of a non-linear relationship between the amount of money and the size […]
• Money as a Form of Motivation in the Work Place This then shows that money can and is used as a motivational factor in the work place so that employees can strive to give their best and their all at the end of the day.
• Money: Good or Evil? Comparing & Contrasting While there are those amongst us who subscribe to the school of though that “money is the source of all evil”, others are of the opinion that money can buy you anything, literary.
• Strategies to Save and Protect Money Thus, the main points of expenditure will be clearly marked, which will help to exclude the purchase of unnecessary goods and services.
• Does Money Buy Happiness? Billions of people in all parts of the world sacrifice their ambitions and subconscious tensions on the altar of profitability and higher incomes. Yet, the opportunity costs of pursuing more money can be extremely high.
• Should America Keep Paper Money It is possible to begin the discussion of the need for keeping paper currency from referring to the rights of any people.
• The Global Media Is All About Money and Profit Making It is noteworthy that the advertisement are presented through the media, which confirms the assertion that global media is all about money and profit making. The media firms control the information passed to the public […]
• Money and Modern Life The rich and the powerful are at the top while the poor and helpless are at the bottom, the rest lie in-between.
• Discussion: Can Money Buy Happiness? Reason Two: Second, people are psychologically predisposed to wanting more than they have, so the richer people are, the less feasible it is to satisfy their demands.
• Time Value of Money: Importance of Calculating Due to fluctuations in economies, all organizations need to take into consideration concepts of the time value of money in any investment venture.
• Relation Between Money and Football In the English league, clubs have been spending millions to sign up a player in the hope that the player will turn the fortunes of the company for the good.
• Opinion on the Importance of Money In the absence of money, individuals and organizations would be forced to conduct transactions through barter trade which is a relatively challenging system due to existence of double coincidence of wants.
• Why People Should Donate Time, Money, Energy to a Particular Organization, Charity, or Cause Its vision is to have a world that is free from Alzheimer’s disease.”The Alzheimer’s Association is the leading, global voluntary health organization in Alzheimer’s care and support, and the largest private, nonprofit funder of Alzheimer’s […]
• Anti-Money Laundering and Hawala System in Dubai To prevent money launders and agents, most countries enacted the anti-money laundering acts with the goal of tracking and prosecuting offenders.
• Money or Family Values First? Which Way to Go As such, family values becomes the epicenter of shaping individual behavior and actions towards the attainment of a certain good, while money assumes the position of facilitating the attainment of a certain good such as […]
• Anti Money Laundering and Financial Crime There are a number of requirements by the government on the AML procedures to be developed and adopted by the firms in the financial service in industry in an attempt to fight the illegal practice.
• Money Laundering: Most Effective Combat Strategies The practice of money laundering affects the economy and security of a country. Countries have directed their efforts to curb money laundering to control the downwards projections of their countries’ economies.
• Why Money Is Important: Benefits & Downsides The notion originated from the Bible because the person who made Jesus suffer on the cross was enticed by the love of money to forsake Jesus.
• Money, Happiness and Satisfaction With Life Nonetheless, the previously mentioned examples should be used to remind us that money alone is not a guarantee of happiness, satisfaction with life, and good health.
• Money and Its Value Throughout the World History What is important is the value that people place on whatever unit they refer to as amoney.’ Money acts as a medium of exchange and an element of measurement of the value of goods and […]
• Electronic Money: Challenges and Solutions First of all, it should be pointed out that money is any type of phenomenon which is conventionally accepted as a universal carrier of value, or “any generally accepted means of payment which is allowed […]
• Drugs: The Love of Money Is the Root of All Evils The political issues concerning the use of drugs consist of, but not limited to, the substances that are defined as drugs, the means of supplying and controlling their use, and how the society relates with […]
• Efforts to Raise Money for Charity However, the point is that charity is supposed to be for a simple act of giving and not expecting any returns from it.
• Money and Happiness in Poor and Wealthy Societies Comprehending the motivations for pursuing money and happiness is the key to understanding this correlation. The Easterlin paradox summed this view by showing that income had a direct correlation with happiness.
• Success and Money Correlation The development of the information technologies and the ongoing progress led to the reconsideration of the values and beliefs. It is significant to understand that there is no right or wrong answer for the question […]
• Dreams of Avarice in Ferguson’s “The Ascent of Money” The chapter “Dreams of Avarice” of the book “The Ascent of Money” explores different stages of development of money functioning in the world by relating them to corresponding historical events.
• Park Avenue: Money, Power and the American Dream – Movie Analysis It can be taken as the national ethos of the citizens of the USA. The basis of the American society is broken and it is not united anymore.
• Money Saving Methods for College Students A budget is one of the methods that a college student can use to save money. In the budget, one should indicate how much to save and the means of saving the money.
• Edwin Arlington Robinson: Money and Happiness in “Richard Cory” It is evident that money cannot guarantee happiness in one’s life due to the uncertainties that surround each one of us.
• Change in the Value of Money According to Keynes To explain the effect of inflation on investors, Keynes delves into the history of inflation through the nineteenth century and tries to explain the complacency of investors at the beginning of the First World War […]
• Money Laundering Through Cryptocurrencies This study will try to critique the approaches used by countries to address the aspect of money laundering activities and the risks posed by digital currencies.
• Money and Banking: General Information The essay gives the definition of money and gives a brief description of the functions of money. As a store of value, money can be saved reliably and then retrieved in the future.
• Two Attitudes Towards Money The over-dependence on money to satisfy one’s emotional needs is a negative perspective of money. The positive attitude of money is rarely practiced by people.
• The Lebanese-Canadian Bank’s Money Laundering The bank was later banned from using the dollar by the American treasury; this resulted in the collapse and eventual sale of the bank.L.C.B.had to pay a settlement fine of one hundred and two million […]
• Giving Money to the Homeless: Is It Important? The question of whether a person should give money to a homeless person or not is a complicated one and cannot have the right answer.
• Where Does the Money Go? by Bittle & Johnson Therefore, the authors explain key issues of the national debt in a relatively simple language and provide their opinion on how the country got into that situation and what could be done about it. In […]
• Anti-Money Laundering in Al Ansari Exchange Case Study Details Company name: Al Ansari Exchange Headquarters: Dubai, United Arab Emirates Sector: Financial Services Number of employees: 2500 Annual gross revenue: UAED 440.
• “From Empire to Chimerica” in “The Ascent of Money” In the chapter “From Empire to Chimerica,” Niall Ferguson traces back the history of the Western financial rise and suggests that nowadays it is being challenged by the developing Eastern world. The hegemonic position of […]
• Paper Money and Its Role Throughout History The adoption of the paper money was considered to be beneficial for both the wealth of the country and the individual businessmen.
• Artworks Comparison: Les Demoiselles d’Avignon and Tribute Money Though the Les Demoiselles d’Avignon, a fresco created by Picasso, was created in an entirely different epoch than Masaccio’s Tribute Money was, the two artworks still share a range of stylistic, compositional and conceptual similarities, […]
• Money, Success, and Relation Between Them In particular, the modern generation attaches so much importance to money in the sense that success and money are presumed to be one and the same thing.
• The Relationship Between Money Supply and Inflation It is evidenced that changing the money supply through the central banks leads to a control of the inflationary situations in the same economy.
• Prices Rise When the Government Prints too Much Money Makinen notes that an increase in the supply of money in an economy relative to the output in the economy could lead to inflationary pressure on prices of goods and services in the economy.
• Money: Evolution, Functions, and Characteristics It acts as medium of exchange where it is accepted by both buyers and sellers; the buyer gives money to the seller in exchange of commodities.
• Money Laundering Scene in Police Drama “Ozark” In one of the first season’s episodes, Marty, the main character, illustrates the process of money laundering crime. In the scene, one can see that Marty is fully sane and is committing a crime voluntarily.
• Money From the Christian Perspective Work in Christian missions is a business and since it affects the relationship between the missionary and the people he is trying to reach, missionary funding is essential.
• Business Case Scenario: Missing Money in a Company A possible scenario explaining how money is missing is through the payroll department my first argument seeks to prove the payroll department as the loophole of the company’s misfortunes.
• Sports Stadiums’ Funding by Public Money The issue is controversial from an ethical point of view since not all citizens whose taxes can be spent on the construction of the stadium are interested in or fond of sports.
• Money Laundering: The Kazakhgate Case He was accused of breaking the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1974 and money laundering by the U.S.attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York.
• The Ways Terrorists Raise and Move Money Moreover, the government has put into action the freezing orders and blocking of united states individuals who are presumed to have a hand in terrorist activities.
• “Money as a Weapon” System and Fiscal Triad Furthermore, the fiscal triad encompasses the procurement of products and services and the disbursement and accounting of public funding. Fiscal legislation and contracts are two key components of the “money as a weapon” system.
• The Fiscal Triad and Money as a Weapon System The reliance on the unit commanders sparked the development of the complementary strategy, “Money as a Weapon System,” which became a focal point of the Iraq and Afghanistan campaigns.
• Saving Money Using Electric or Gas Vehicles The central hypothesis of the study is that the electric car will save more money than gas ones. The main expected outcome that the study is counting on is a confirmation of the presented hypothesis […]
• Traditional vs. Modern Forms of Money The most significant argument for the continuing existence of traditional forms of money is the impossibility of converting all financial resources into a digital form.
• Time Value of Money: What You Should Know The time value of money is a paramount financial concept, according to which a certain amount is now worth more than the same amount in the future.
• The Concept of the Time Value of Money The concept of the time value of money refers to the financial principle noting that a fixed amount of money currently is worth more than the same amount of money in the future.
• Play Money Paper: A Report Betas of the Companies in the Portfolio It is noteworthy that in the given portfolio, the beta indices of the companies involved vary considerably.
• Integration of Business Ethics in Preventing Money Laundering Schemes The shipping information within the document seems inaccurate with the intention to launder money from the buyer. The contribution of ocean carrier in the transaction process is doubtful to a given extent.
• Trade-Based Money Laundering The purpose of this paper is to research the subject of trade-based money laundering, its impact on global scene and export controls, identify types of trade finance techniques used to launder illegal money, and provide […]
• Impact of Natural Disasters on Money Markets and Investment Infusion of funds from the central bank during natural disasters results in higher process of exports as a direct result of an increase in the value of the local currency.
• The Perception of Money, Wealth, and Power: Early Renaissance vs. Nowadays In the Renaissance period, power was a questionable pursuit and could be viewed as less stable due to more frequent upheavals.
• Financial Institutions and Money Money is a store of value because it can be saved now and used to purchase se goods and services in the future.
• Researching of the Time Value of Money After receiving the loan, one of the monetary policies that would help PIIGS to stabilize is the deflation of their currency, in this case, the Euro.
• Anti-Money Laundering: Financial Action Task Force Meanwhile, given the limited access for physical assessment of state jurisdictions, it is likely that current provisions of FATF are yet to be revised in spite of pandemic travel and assessment restrictions.
• Anti-Money Laundering in the UK Jurisdiction The regime adopted in the UK is based on the provisions of “the Terrorism Act of 2000, the Proceeds of Crime Act of 2002, as well as the Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing, and Transfer of […]
• Trade-Based Money Laundering and Its Attractiveness The proliferation of the trade-based money laundering is directly related to the growing complexity of international trade systems, where new risks and vulnerabilities emerge and are seen as favorable among terrorist organizations seeking for the […]
• Money Laundering and Sanctions Regulatory Frameworks Under the provisions of OFAC, the company has violated the cybersecurity rules that might indirectly bring a significant threat to the national security or the stability of the United States economy by engaging in online […]
• Type Borrowing Money: Margin Lending In the defense of the storm financial planning firm, BOQ submitted to the authorities that in view of banking regulatory policies, storm had not contravened any of the policies and this is the reason why […]
• Lessons on Financial Planning Using Money Tree Software Financial planning remains a fundamental function among the investors in coming up with a method of using the finances presently and in the future.
• The Supply of Money in the Capitalist Economy In the capitalist economy that the world is currently based on, the supply of money plays a significant role in not only affecting salaries and prices but also the growth of the economy.
• Time Value of Money Defined and Calculations Simply put, the same value of money today is worth the same value in future. The time value of money can therefore be defined as the calculated value of the money taking into consideration various […]
• Money Tree Software: Financial Planning This return is important because: It represents the reward the business stakeholders and owner of the business get in staking their money on the business currently and in the future It rewards the business creditors […]
• Money Management: Investment on Exchange-Traded Funds The essay will discuss the possibility of investing in a number of selected ETFs in connection to an investment objective of an individual.
• What Is Money Laundering and Is It Possible to Fight It Certainly and more often money involved in laundering is obtained from illegal activities and the main objective of laundering is to ‘clean’ the dirty money and give it a legitimate appearance in terms of source.
• Time Value of Money: Choosing Bank for Deposit The value of the money is determined by the rate of return that the bank will offer. The future value of the two banks is $20,000 and $22,000 for bank A and bank B respectively.
• How Money Market Mutual Funds Contributed to the 2008 Financial Crisis While how the prices of shares fell below the set $1 per share was a complex process, it became one of the greatest systemic risks posed by the MMMF to the investors and the economy […]
• Time Value of Money From an Islamic Perspective Islamic scholars say that the time value of money and the interest rates imposed on money lent are the reasons why the poor keep on getting poor and the rich richer.
• Rational Decision Making: Money on Your Mind The mind is responsible for making financial decision and it is triggered by the messages we receive on the day to day activities. Lennick and Jordan explain that, we have two systems in the brain; […]
• A Usability Test Conducted on GE Money.com.au It is common knowledge that the easier it is to access services and products on a given website the more likely users will be encouraged to come back.
• “Most Important Thing Is Money Ltd”: Vaccination Development Thus, necessary powers have been vested with the Secretary of State for Health in England, through the recommendations of the Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunisation to enforce such preventive steps, through necessary programs that […]
• Money Investments in the Companies and Bonds The stock volume is on the low level now, about 30, but it is connected with the crisis in the world and the additional investment may support the company and increase it. In general the […]
• Money Management in the Organization There is a much debate on the issue and several people an financial experts do analyze the historical perspectives of the Active vs Passive money management.
• How the Virus Transformed Money Spending in the US In the article featured in the New York Times, Leatherby and Geller state that the rate at which people spend their money has rapidly decreased due to the emergence of the virus in the United […]
• The Role of Money and Class Division in Society The image of modern American society tries in vain to convey the prevalence of personality over social division. Americans’ perception of financial status has been shaped for years by creating the notion of the “American […]
• Money and American Classes in 1870-1920 Wherein, the time of the stock market emergence was the time of the ongoing “carnival,” where the mystical power of money transferred to miraculous products and medicines and compelling advertisements.
• The Ascent of Money – Safe as Houses Looking from a broad historical perspective, Niall Ferguson devotes the chapter “Save as Houses” to the observation of the real estate concept transformation, describes the place of the real estate market in the economic systems […]
• The Ascent of Money – Blowing Bubbles The price for a share tells how much people rely on the cost of the company in the future. The life of a stock market represents the reflection of human moods on the price of […]
• Canada’s Role in the History of Money: The Relationship Between Ownership and Control Individuals with the predominant shares gain the directorship of the wealth production channels and as such gain control of the diversified owners.
• Why Non-Monetary Incentives Are More Significant Than Money It is important to recognize that both monetary and non-monetary incentives, otherwise known as total rewards, are offered to employees in diverse ways for purposes of attracting and motivating them to the ideals of the […]
• To Make Money or Serve the Society? However, when the issue of the corporation to serve the society arises, then it kind of compromises the main focus of the corporation, which is to make money. These have been the major causes of […]
• Money Role in Macro Economy The dollar is till now the most accepted currency in the world and this dollar fluctuation that has been caused by the worst recession in American history since the time of the Great Depression is […]
• Two Attitudes Toward Money Two attitudes toward money involve negative perception of money as universal evil and positive perception of money as source of good life and prosperity.
• Organizational Communication & the “Money” Aspect While the use of this information is critical for both ensuring survival of the organization and being a frontrunner in its strategies for the future, there are large boulders in use of this information effectively, […]
• Tax Money Usage on Military Spending Issue The fact that America won the Cold War and defeated the Soviets is taken as a vindication by the American leaders of the need to continue military spending.
• Money Makes You Happy: Philosophical Reasoning It is possible to give the right to the ones who think that money can buy happiness. This conclusion is not accepted by psychologists who think that wealth brings the happiness only in the moment […]
• “Who Says Money Cannot Buy Happiness” by Lee Investment is a production process for will it bring about goods and services that can be sold to the market and in the process, the owner of the business makes some profit.
• Technical Analysis as Active Money Management Method Technical analysis is the financial markets methodology that asserts the capability to foretell the probable course of security charges by the means of past market data study, principally price and volume.
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• The Use of Money in Business Practices Money is seen as the cause of problems and especially in the minds of emerging market respondents. Through this they can pick up groceries for the old in their neighborhood and make money from this.
• Money Laundering and Terrorist Finance However, the balance money after the sham gambling is transferred to another ordinary bank account, thereby creating a legal status for the laundered money as if it has come from gambling and will be employed […]
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• Debates in Endogenous Money: Basil Moore The value of the currency was determined by the value of the precious metal used to mint the currency. From the time Federal Reserve took control of money and credit, economic consistency is attained by […]
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• Money and Justice: High-Profile Cases It is estimated that thousands of persons bracketed in the ‘poor’ sector of society go to jail annually in the United States without having spoken to a lawyer.
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• Time Value of Money and Its Financial Applications The time value of money refers to the idea that money available at the present time is worth more than the same amount in the future, due to its potential earning capacity.
• Time Value of Money in Examples Therefore, re-purchase of the shares appeals to the managers of the company because it will allow the company uses the money to regenerate more money for the purpose of repurchase the shares in the future.
• Wall Street Managers: The Art of Making Money In the end, the goal of Wall Street managers is to ensure optimal returns in all of their investments. The evolution of Wall Street managers is etched in the history of financial markets.
• Money Laundering in the USA and Australia The International Money Fund has established that the aggregate size of money laundering in the World is approximately four percent of the world’s gross domestic product.
• Locke’s Second Treatise of Government and Voltaire’s Candide’s Value on Money Both written at a time when philosophers had started questioning the relevance of capitalism and the concept of wealth creation, it is evident that the two authors were keen on explaining the power of money […]
• The Concept of Money Laundering The first issue I have learned is that the main problem lies in the presence of Big Data that includes trillions of transactions of various financial organizations and systems.
• Fraud, Money Laundering, and Terrorism Financing After the audacious attack by Al-Qaeda and the destruction of the Twin Towers on 11th of September 2001, terrorism was declared the number one enemy to the peace and stability of the modern world.
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• Martin Van Buren: Money and Indian Relocation One of the reasons for such collaboration and understanding is the focus on the values we have. I believe this path will bring us to the land we all would like to live in.
• The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money Money is a determinant of the propensity to consume; hence, the more money one makes, the more that he or she consumes and the converse is the case.
• The Practice of Saving Money Knowledge of the language is also a very crucial component of EAP as it aids the learner in understanding questions and responding to them in their examinations.another differentiating factor between the two varieties of English […]
• Money Market and Value-Based Pricing Consequently, the GDP can be defined by the equation: Y=C+I+G+NX where: Y= Total GDP, C=Consumption by household, I=Investment, G=Government expenditure, NX=Net Exports Net Domestic product entails the reduction of the GDP by the depreciation of […]
• How Money Markets Operate? Furthermore, only free markets have shown the resilience that is necessary to accompany the fluctuations in demand and supply of the money markets.
• Access Right to Money: Sculpture Theft Among the suspects, there are those in dire need of the money due to financial problems, while others need the values worth of the item and not the actual monetary price attached to the item.
• History of Money in Spain The production of coins melted from gold also ceased in the year 1904, with the production of that melted from silver ceasing in the year 1910.
• Money Flows and Financial Repression in the US and China From the article, the authors depict how the interest rates in developed countries like the United States compare with those of the emerging markets such as China, India, and Brazil.
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• Chapters 1-3 of “Money Mechanics” by David Ashby The retained amount of money in the commercial bank is the primary reserve. The banks can decide to reduce their working reserve, and the money obtained is transferred to the excess reserve fund in accounts […]
• Banking in David Ashby’s “Money Mechanics” Changes in prices may not have a direct effect on the gross domestic product and the planned expenditures because this is determined by the money that is in supply. This causes the GDP and prices […]
• Karl Marx on Commodities, Labor, and Money Division of labour is very important in the production of commodities. The use-value of each commodity contains useful labour.
• The UAE Against Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing This valuation of the anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism government of the United Arab Emirates is founded on the forty endorsements and the nine special commendations on extremist supporting of the monetary […]
• UAE Anti-Money Laundering Laws and Their Benefits The legal maintenance of counteraction to the legalization of criminal incomes is carried out by means of a system of laws and regulations, controlling financial, bank, and customs relations and establishing the order of licensing […]
• Money, Their Features, Functions and Importance The first hindrance is the inability of the household to monitor the activities of firms. In this case, it is used to state the value of debt.
• Happiness Without Money in Sociology and Psychology The tendency’s mechanics are simple – being in the possession of any substantial sum of money increases a person’s chance to secure a dominant status within the society, which in turn will result in strengthening […]
• Money Market Development Factors The money market is one of the fundamental elements in the functioning of any state. Under these conditions, the gradual rise of technologies and their implementation in the sphere of financial operations alter the money […]
• “God’ Money is Now My Money” by Stanley Seat It could be said that different priorities and the lack of time for supervision of the employees are the critical reasons for the violation of rules and high frequency of fraud in the religious institutions […]
• International Money Laundering Thus, money laundering has a profound impact on the state of the global economy, as well as on the economy of the U.S.
• Cybercrime and Digital Money Laundering The result of the investigation was the indictment of Western Express and a number of the company’s clients for several charges including stolen credit card data trafficking and money laundering.
• Hawala Remittance System: Anti-Money Laundering Compliance The existence and operation of money remittance systems is one of the primary features of developing economic relation at all scales from local to the global ones.
• Time Value of Money in Economies of Scale Also, the investigation of the VoF becomes easier by means of scrutinizing the tradeoff between the TVM and the EoS. The TVM is also employed to reach the integration of infrastructure investment valuation and risk […]
• Time Value of Money in Investment Planning The author of the post makes a good point that an amount of money is worth more the sooner it is received.
• David Leonhardt: May Be Money Does Buy Happiness After All The case study of Japanese citizens that support Easterlin paradox do not factor in the confounding psychological effects of the Second World War on the entire population and the country.
• Illegal Drug Use, Prostitution and Money Laundering Upon discussing the impact of money laundering, illegal drugs, and prostitution, the paper proposes the issuing of a court order restraining the use of wealth acquired from victimless crimes as one of the approaches to […]
• Getting Beyond: Show Me the Money Nevertheless, underpayment and overpayment are common, leading to dissatisfaction. Notably, compensation is part culture, but analytics will gain traction in the big data era, as start-ups leverage such advantages from experts to manage a sales […]
• Space Programs: Progress or Waste of Money? According to Ehrenfreund, the ingenuity to develop technologies and work in space is part of the progress that comes from space programs. Space programs have led to the development of technologies that improve air transport.
• “The Money Machine: How the City Works” by Coggan The media plays a chief role in educating the public concerning the various financial matters that affect the undertakings of the City.
• Money Evolution in Ancient Times and Nowadays In the means to defining what money is, most of the scholars from the psychological and physiological field have come up with the theoretical aspects of money and the ways it influences the economic growth […]
• Fraud and Crime Theory in the “Black Money” Movie The movie shows the irregularities involved in the acquisition of arms for the Saudi government. The movie is a perfect display of the international crimes and financial fraud that has been on the rise in […]
• Mercantilism, Stamped Money, and Under-Consumption It is paramount to note that he criticizes ideas of Ricardo quite frequently, and he believed that he did not consider the ideas that were suggested by other prominent economists.
• Money Evolution in the 21st Century and Before The history of the world cannot be described effectively without identifying the function of money. Money has been used to measure the value of resources and financial markets.
• Financial Crisis in Ferguson’s “The Ascent of Money” By Ferguson, the main purpose of the historian is to relieve humanity from the financial illusions on the examples of the past.
• Monetary Policy in “The Ascent of Money” by Ferguson The rise of Babylon is closely linked to the evolution of the concept of debt and credit; without bond markets and banks, the brilliance of the Italians would not have materialized; the foundation of the […]
• The Airtel Money Service: Indian and African Paths When comparing the Indian and African paths in introducing the service, the first difference that arises is the main user of the service as in the case of India, it was the lower middle class.
• Money History, Ethical and Social Standarts
• World Money History in the 20th Century and New Objects of Value
• Locke’s Work on Interest and Value of Money
• Money in the “Sheriff of Cape Breton” Case Study
• Medieval England in “Treatise on the New Money”
• Blowing Bubbles in Ferguson’s “The Ascent of Money”
• Treatise on the New Money: Document Analysis
• Human Bondage in Ferguson’s “The Ascent of Money”
• Money History, Bonds, Market Bubbles, and Risks
• Park Avenue: Money, Power and the American Dream
• Deflation in the Quantity Theory of Money
• Money, Its Purpose and Significance in History
• “Who Stole the Money, and When?” by Greenberg
• Money History From the Middle Ages to Mercantilism
• Money Development From 600 BC to Nowadays
• Money Development and Its Stages in World History
• Market Society in “What Money Can’t Buy” by Sandels
• Employee Theft in “Who Stole the Money, and When?”
• European Union Anti-Money Laundering Directive
• T-Shirts “SENIOR 2016” and Time Value of Money
• Time and Money in “Neptune’s Brood” by Charles Stross
• “College Is a Waste of Time and Money” by Bird
• Virgin Money Company’s Business Model in Canada
• Money in History and World Cultures
• Is College Education Worth the Money
• Weddings, Marriage, and Money in the UAE
• Money and Happiness Connection – Philosophy
• The Ascent of Money: A Financial History of the World
• “Art for Money’s Sake” by William Alden
• Money’s and Banking’ Concepts
• Central Bank of Bahrain and Money Supply Regulation
• Psychological Research: Money Can Buy Happiness
• Finance: The History of Money
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• Criminal Law: Blood Money From the Human Organs Sale
• Money as an Emerging Market Phenomenon
• Cyber-Crime – New Ways to Steal Identity and Money
• The Case of Stolen Donation Money
• Time Value of Money
• Money and Banking: The Economic Recession of 2007
• Money and Banking: David S. Ashby’s Perspective
• Christian Moral Teaching and Money
• Money and Capital Markets: Turkey, India and China
• Money and Capital Markets: Central Banks
• Exploring the Relationship Between Education and Money
• Anti Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism
• Mobile Money Transfer as an Alternative Product for Vodafone Group Plc
• UK and USA During the Period 2000-2010: Consumer Price Index, Unemployment Rate, Money Supply and Interest Rate
• Are Workers Motivated Mainly by Money?
• Money Mechanics in the U.S.
• Money and Markets vs. Social Morals
• Money Laundering In Saudi Arabia
• Inflation Tax – Printing More Money to Cover the War Expenses
• Banks and the Money Supply
• Money Mechanics in Banks System
• Money Laundering In Russia
• Money and Work Performance
• Sports and Money in Australia
• Money Supply and Exchange Rates
• Mobile Money Transfer Service
• Central Banking and the Money Supply
• The Different Roles Played By the Central Bank, Depository Institutions, and Depositors in the Determination of Money Supply
• Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Karl Marx: The Role of Money in Human Life
• How Saudi Banks Deal With Money Laundery
• The Ascent of Money
• Niall Ferguson’s ‘The Ascent of Money’
• Role of Money in the American Dream’s Concept
• Money, Motivation and Employee Performance
• Money and Commodity Circulatory Processes
• Motivate Your Employees produced by BNet Video for CBS Money Watch
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• The World Surrounded by Money
• The World of Money
• Federal Reserve; Money and Banking
• Ways to Spend Money in Saudi Arabia
• Sports Industry: Morality vs. Money
• Making Money on Music: The Company That Has to Stay Afloat
• Federal Reserve and the Role of Money in It
• What Do Money and Credit Tell Us About Actual Activity in the United States?
• What Influence Does Money Have on Us Politics?
• Can Money Change Who We Are?
• Does Government Spending Crowd Out Donations of Time and Money?
• Does More Money Mean More Bank Loans?
• Are Corporate Ceos Earning Too Much Money?
• Did the Turmoil Affect Money-Market Segmentation in the Euro Area?
• How Appealing Are Monetary Rewards in the Workplace?
• How Does Inflation Affect the Function of Money?
• Can Banks Individually Create Money Out of Nothing?
• Are Credit Cards Going to Be the Money of the Future?
• Does Money Protect Health Status?
• Can Cryptocurrencies Fulfill the Functions of Money?
• What Tools Used by the Federal Reserve to Control Money Supply?
• Are Athletes Overpaid Money Professional Sports?
• Does Electronic Money Mean the Death of Cash?
• What Does Motivate Employees and Whether Money a Key?
• What Are the Three Functions of Money?
• Are Gym Memberships Worth the Money?
• Does Broad Money Matter for Interest Rate Policy?
• Does Money Help Predict Inflation?
• Does One’s Success Depend on the Amount of Money a Person Earns?
• How Does Federal Reserve Control the Money Supply?
• Does Interest Rate Influence Demand for Money?
• Does Commodity Money Eliminate the Indeterminacy of Equilibria?
• Are College Degrees Worth the Money?
• Can Money Matter for Interest Rate Policy?
• How Banks Create Money and Impact of Credit Booms?
• How Can Virtualization Save Organization Money?
• Can Money Diminish Student Performance Disparities Across Regions?
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

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In many societies around the world, there is a huge taboo about talking about money. From an early age, we learn, for example, that it is not polite to boast about your salary—and that means never telling anyone what you earn, in case you earn more than them—or ask what something cost, because that implies that someone might not be able to afford it.

Unfortunately, this taboo means that it is also very difficult to have important conversations. This page suggests some ways that you can overcome the taboo and start to have honest conversations with those around you about money, both at work and at home.

Why Talk About Money?

If I had a little money… It’s a rich man’s world!

Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, in the song Money, Money, Money

Money makes the world go round, the world go round, the world go round…

Sally Bowles, in the musical Cabaret (lyrics by Fred Ebb)

There is unarguably more to life than money, but it is nonetheless very important for most of us—especially when we do not have enough.

According to Relate, the relationship support service, financial issues are one of the main causes of arguments between couples. Perhaps this is unsurprising when an astonishing 43% of Americans say that they do not know what their spouse earns. After all, if you do not even know your monthly household income, it is hard to budget successfully (and for more about this, see our page on Budgeting ).

There is also considerable evidence that fairness is relative.

That is, what we consider ‘fair’ is all about what we have compared with other people. In other words, the cause of financial problems in relationships is likely to be one partner feeling that the other does not ‘pull their weight’. Being able to talk calmly and rationally about money can avoid this type of problem.

For more about these ideas, see our page on fairness .

There is another reason to be open with your partner about money: you need to be sure that you are ‘on the same page’ financially. If one of you is scrimping and saving for a deposit on a house, or to build an emergency fund, and the other goes out and spends all their money on a new gaming system, this is going to lead to conflict. These differences in approach can even lead to the end of the relationship.

Start talking about money to your partner at an early stage to ensure that your different attitudes and approaches are not a deal-breaker for either of you.

It is helpful to agree your shared financial goals and budget on a regular basis, and get into the habit of discussing any ‘big ticket’ purchases in advance, even if you are planning to spend your ‘own’ money. This will ensure that you are both happy about your spending and financial planning.

Beyond couples, wider family relationships can also suffer from not talking about money. Many people report struggling when they have to take on responsibility for elderly parents, or sort out wills, because they simply do not know what their parents wanted. Sibling relationships can also break down over the division of estates when wills seem unfair to one or more party.

However, finding it hard to talk about money affects more than just your personal relationships. For example, if you feel embarrassed discussing money, it can be extremely hard to ask your boss for a pay rise. If you can’t ask your co-workers what they earn—and this is a major taboo—you are unlikely to find out if you are paid substantially less or more than them, or be able to take action to address it.

Case study: Crisis at the BBC

In January 2018, the BBC’s China editor, Carrie Gracie, resigned from her post citing pay inequality with her male colleagues. The problem?

For the first time ever, in July 2017, the BBC had published information about which of its staff were paid over £150,000. Ms Gracie was not on the list, and neither was her female colleague, Europe editor Katya Adler. However, the BBC’s two male international editors, Jeremy Bowen and Jon Sopel, were both on the list.

Carrie Gracie’s open letter of resignation stated: “ …last July I learned that in the previous financial year, the two men [international editors] earned at least 50% more than the two women.

' Despite the BBC's public insistence that my appointment demonstrated its commitment to gender equality, and despite my own insistence that equality was a condition of taking up the post, my managers had yet again judged that women's work was worth much less than men's. ”

This was the first time that this kind of data had been exposed to public view, and it caused both widespread public outrage, and discrimination claims from many of the women employed by the corporation.

It is likely that had information been widely available about pay levels, or if people felt able to discuss pay more openly, this would not have happened.

Another reason to talk about money is to get good advice about your financial situation.

Professionals in finance, including investment advisers, pensions advisers, and debt advisers, are used to discussing money. They are not embarrassed by it. However, to give you good advice, they need accurate information from you.

It is impossible to get advice that fully reflects your situation if you are not honest about that situation.

You will be able to get generic advice about how to save money—but not specific information about your house, your debt, or your financial affairs. It is worth being clear about your financial situation to get good, tailored advice from professionals.

As an added advantage, good advice will help you to improve your financial situation. If you were worried about money, that is likely to make you feel much less stressed.

Why Don’t We Talk About Money?

There are therefore many good reasons for talking about money.

However, many people still don’t feel happy about doing it.

Research from the UK’s Money and Pensions Service in 2020 found that 48% of people had worried about money at least once a week in the preceding month, and 16% said it was a daily worry. However, more than half of those surveyed (52%) reported feeling uncomfortable talking about money even when they were concerned about it. In practice, just 11% said that they had talked to family and friends when worried about their finances in the past.

There were several reasons given for not talking about money, all cited by around 15% of people. They included shame or embarrassment, not wanting to burden others, having been brought up not to talk about money, feeling stressed about talking about it, and worry that they should be more successful.

The situation is worse for young people and those from black and minority ethnic backgrounds. Those groups were more concerned about money, and also less likely to talk to anyone else about it.

Starting Conversations About Money

How, then, can you start conversations about money? It depends a bit on the circumstances and situation.

Talking Money at Home

In many ways, it is—and should be—easier to talk about money with your partner or family. You are, after all, much closer to them than to your colleagues or boss. As with any other subject, the key is to use the rules of feedback. Be open and honest about the effect of your partner’s behaviour, on you .

In other words, don’t wait too long to have the conversation, but do pick your moment carefully, so that they are receptive, and give them time to respond. Also remember to listen to what they are saying, and don’t just think about what you are going to say next.

For more about this, see our page on Giving Feedback to Your Partner .

One way to initiate a conversation is to share one of your own financial goals. You might, for example, tell your partner that you are going to try to save a bit more money each month, or pay off your credit card bill in full each month. This may prompt them to share their own financial goals, and start a more honest conversation—but if it doesn’t, you can always ask, having opened the subject.

You could also suggest having some joint financial goals. For example, you might be thinking about saving for a deposit on a house. If so, you will need to agree how much each of you is going to save each month.

When you are living with a partner, their financial actions can also affect your credit score. You therefore do have a right to be concerned if you think they are going into debt.

On the flip side, if you are having problems with money, your partner has a right to know because of the possible effect on them. However, it is not helpful to get into any kind of ‘blame game’. Very few of us intend or wish to go into debt. It is therefore important to keep the conversation positive and focused on what you are (jointly and separately) going to do to sort out the situation.

It is fine to explain how worried you are, and be upset about the possible consequences of your situation—but ultimately, you need action, not emotion.

Finally, it is much easier to sort problems if you talk about them openly and honestly.

Talking about money and solving problems together can therefore help to make your relationship stronger, as well as helping you to resolve your problems.

Talking about money is not a one-off conversation

It is important to remember that you can’t just have a single conversation about money and then heave a sigh of relief and move on. Instead, talking about money needs to become a habit in a relationship—just like talking about how you care for your pets, or how you are bringing up your kids, or when you are going to visit relatives.

Keep talking openly and honestly, and you will find that future conversations get easier and easier—even when the situation is difficult.

Talking Money at Work

It is important to remember and recognise that you are not going to break down the taboo about talking about money overnight, or single-handedly—not even in yourself.

However, you should not EVER feel embarrassed about asking your boss for a raise if you feel that you deserve one. It is his or her job to manage their team, and that includes pay issues. They are unlikely to be embarrassed about discussing your pay with you, so why should you feel embarrassed either?

The key is to have evidence for why you feel that you deserve more money. For example, you may have brought in a lot of business to the team or company, or delivered a particularly big project, or taken on extra responsibilities. If possible, show comparisons with others—but if you can’t get this data, don’t worry.

How can you get comparative data about your colleagues? It may be worth asking them!

You can use phrasing that helps to make your request to talk about money more acceptable. For example:

“I know it’s not conventional to ask this, but it would really help me in my discussions with the boss if I knew roughly how much you were paid. Would you mind telling me the broad (say £10k) slot that your salary falls into?”

Making clear why you need the information, and making sure that you are not intrusive about how much detail you need, can make it easier for colleagues to share sensitive information.

For more about how to use the right language at the right time, you may like to look at our page on Communication in Difficult Situations .

Alternatively, if you are in a large organisation, you could try going to your HR or Finance departments and asking them for anonymised data about those at your pay level or in your team. Again, you will need to explain why you need the information—and be prepared for a refusal—but if you don’t ask, you definitely won’t get.

Case study: A tale of two colleagues

Janey and Michael were two colleagues in a big organisation. They had been promoted within a month of each other, to the same level, to head up the same team, working jointly.

Over the two years after their promotion, Janey changed team twice, still working for the same manager. Each time, she negotiated a pay rise with her boss, on the grounds that she was taking on more responsibility.

Two years after their promotion, the organisation held a pay review, and announced that it was giving a pay rise to all the lowest-paid staff in Janey and Michael’s pay bracket. When Janey dropped into Michael’s office one day for a chat, he said to her,

“ It will be nice to have that pay rise, won’t it? ”

“ What pay rise? ” she asked.

“ That pay rise for the lowest paid staff. They’ve sent me an email telling me that I’ll get it. Surely you will too? We were promoted at the same time. ”

“ No, ” Janey said, cheerfully. “ No email. I guess I’m not in the lowest-paid staff anymore. I’ve negotiated myself two pay rises since then. ”

Both found it astonishing how quickly Janey had moved herself through the pay bracket. Michael had known that Janey had negotiated pay rises, because she had mentioned it, but neither had realised just how much more than him she was now earning. Gaps can open up very fast.

And Finally…

A discomfort about talking about money is common around the world, especially in English-speaking countries. However, sometimes it is better to go through a little discomfort, and talk about things, than put them off and store up trouble for later.

Time and effort spent communicating now are likely to build stronger relationships and help you in future.

Continue to: Money Management and Financial Skills Conversational Skills

See also: Conflict Resolution Talking About Death Why Everyone Needs to Learn to Talk About Money and How to Do It

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Advanced Essay #3: How Money Shapes Us

“Money is a tool. Used properly it makes something beautiful; used wrong, it makes a mess.” We are so used to thinking that money can just get us anything that we want to possess in life which can lead us to obsess over it. Money is a concept that can be used to get through things and achieve a part of our goals. But, it does not necessarily mean that it can buy us joy in life. Through money, we can have material things to satisfy our needs and wants. It is also something that we can rely on to get through different situations in life. However, it can be very difficult to handle if we don’t use it wisely. For example, a person who has an abundance of money may abuse its value by spending heavily on material things, but later in life, this person regrets how he/she acted because of how it affected him/her physically, emotionally, and mentally. The thought of money can be very satisfying because it makes us wonder about all the possibilities that we can do with it in life. Money is not just something that is made out of paper or copper but, it can affect many of us in different ways because of its importance and value in society.

“The bottom line: money appears to have both positive and negative effects on our behavior. On the one hand, it encourages self-sufficiency and hard work; but on the other, it discourages some positive social interaction.”  Money can be a very problematic thing if we do not handle it correctly. Growing up, my mom hardly exposed my sister and I to money. We would get small amounts of money here and there for our allowance usually in the morning before we leave for school. She would reach for her purse and hand us over the crumpled 100 Peso bill which equivalents to 2 US Dollars. At the time, that was big for me especially not really having to buy anything because I packed my own lunch and I was being dropped off and picked up to and from my elementary school. I didn’t get an allowance everyday, only when my mom asks me if I needed some money for food or a school project. Growing up, I was always too shy to ask my mom for money because I always waited for her signal. But, I am glad that this was a consistent act because over the years I realized how important it is to work hard for your own money and how it can help you grow as a person if you’re handling your own money.

Through my childhood experiences, I grew up hearing that “money doesn’t grow on trees.” This has been a well-known saying that everyone is familiar with. I always heard this saying growing up and I still believe it is true. Money isn’t easy to have as it comes and goes, therefore, it needs to be used wisely. My mom always taught my sister and I to be smart when it comes to handling our money so we can be financially stable later in life. I knew that this was a good advice that I can always carry on to prepare me for adulthood and life, in general. Money can always make great things to happen, but we have to be wise about it because it can either make us or break us. Sources:

Castillo, Stephanie, and Stephanie Castillo Stephanie Is an Avid Writer, Runner, and Snacker, Though Not at the Same Time. Read More. "The Mental Effects Of Money." Medical Daily . N.p., 27 Feb. 2015. Web. 18 Jan. 2017.

Gregoire, Carolyn. "How Money Changes The Way We Think And Behave." The Huffington Post . TheHuffingtonPost.com, n.d. Web. 18 Jan. 2017.

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Talking About Money in English: 20+ Words and Idioms

No matter where you go and why you go there, you’ll need to talk about money.

From buying plane tickets to calling a taxi, you’ll need to understand what people are saying.

In this post, you’ll find 30 words and idioms you can use to discuss money in English , with example sentences and audio.

Important Words to Build Your Money Vocabulary

5. sales slip / receipt, 10. discount, 15. business negotiation, 16. profit / loss, 18. industry, 19. recession, 20. currency, common idioms to talk about money, money doesn’t grow on trees, squirrel away money, break the bank, bread and butter, to be flat broke, give a ballpark figure, to cost an arm and a leg, to throw money down the drain, to have money to burn, to tighten one’s belt, resources to learn how to talk about money in english, and one more thing....

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

Meaning:  Cash is any kind of money in the form of bills (paper money) or coins. It’s the easiest way to pay someone if you’re physically going out to buy something.

Your total is $14.99. Will you be paying with cash or credit card?

Below, you’ll find the two main types of cash in English: coins and bills.

Meaning: As seen above, one form of cash you may use is coins. Coins are often round in shape, although this can vary depending on the currency.

The child saved the coins he earned as pocket money to use at the fun fair.

Meaning: Instead of only using coins, to avoid having to carry tons of coins around when dealing with a higher value of money, you can use bills.

Have you got a $5 bill ? I haven’t got enough quarters to put in the vending machine.

Note that some English-speaking countries like Australia, New Zealand and the UK use the term “banknote,” or more commonly “note,” instead of bill.

Meaning: Nowadays, it’s far more common for people to carry these around and make payments “by card.” Not only are there certain places that no longer accept cash, but for many, it’s a simpler and safer way to carry money and make purchases.

This shop only accepts payments by card .

The most common types of cards are a “debit card,” a card that already has the amount of cash required to make the purchase available, and a “credit card,” a card that allows you to make purchases by borrowing money, which you will then pay back over a period of time.

Meaning: When you buy something in a store, you are given a sales slip or receipt. This can either be printed out on paper or sent to you via email. It’s used as a proof of purchase and is important to keep in case you need to return the item.

I was given a sales slip when I bought the TV, but I can’t find it anywhere.

I gave them my email address so they could email me the receipt .

Meaning: In this context, the word change can have various meanings.

Firstly, it can mean the money you are given back after paying for something using cash:

Here is your change .

This term can also refer to coins:

Do you have any change ? I need a quarter.

Meaning:  The amount of money a person earns per month or per year. A person can earn an income through work, collecting rent or by investing in other companies (also called an investor).

Earning a good income in this economy is a really hard task.

Meaning:  To be thrifty is to use money very carefully, without wasting. The word can mean positive and negative things based on the context and the intent of the speaker.

My dad always taught me to be thrifty  with money. This has helped me through some really tough times.

Meaning:  This word is similar to the word “negotiate,” but it’s generally used in an informal context. To haggle with someone is to discuss the price of an object persistently (without ceasing).

Miss Thurstone always haggles with the baker to save five cents on every purchase.

Meaning:  When a shop or a business lowers prices of something for a limited period, it’s called a discount. If you’re in the US, this is especially important on “Black Friday,” the day after Thanksgiving when the largest discounts of the year are given in many stores. (A day where lots of Americans shop for Christmas gifts.)

I always buy mobile phones when there is a discount . Otherwise it’s just too expensive to own a good smartphone nowadays.

To learn more vocabulary related to shopping, read  this post .

Meaning:  The amount of money available to spend on something is called a budget. It can also mean a plan where you decide how and where you will spend the money you have over a specific time period, like a monthly or weekly budget.

I always go over my budget when I shop for clothes. That’s why I always take my parents with me, so they can stop me from spending too much.

Meaning:  A deal can mean an agreement or arrangement between two or more businesses. As a verb it can also refer to doing business in something or with someone.

Apple had a deal with Samsung where they agreed to manufacture smartphones together.

Meaning:  When you buy something or enjoy a service with the promise of paying in the future, it’s called “credit.” This is where “credit cards” get their name, and it’s a common practice almost anywhere in the world.

I prefer not to buy anything on credit since I hate the idea. But my son uses my credit card all the time.

Meaning:  You are said to be in debt when you owe money to someone. Both individuals and companies can be in debt, and the word is used for more formal occasions such as taking a loan from a bank or a company.

If our company does not stop going over budget every year, then our debt will force us to close down the business.

Meaning:  If you have a formal discussion with others to reach an agreement between all the people involved, then it’s called a negotiation. Generally people negotiate when they want something from each other but some demands are not acceptable to the other parties.

When these discussions happen between businesses, then they are known as “business negotiations.” (For a complete list of common verbs used in business writing, read this post .)

I always take John with me to every big business negotiation . He can make anyone trust him with his conversation skills.

Meaning:  Profit is when a person or business makes more money selling something than buying or producing that thing. Loss is when one has to give more money in making or buying a product or service than the money they receive after selling it.

It takes a while for a new business to see a profit . Typically, it will take a loss  during the first year or so.

Meaning:  A market is a place where you buy and sell things, whether it be a shopping market or the stock market . It can also be used as a verb. “To market” something is to promote a product or a brand.

I prefer our neighborhood market over the mall. There are so many unique things you can find there!

Meaning:  The processes, people, tools, factories and things used to create a product or service. For instance, the car industry includes everything involved in making cars.

I think the paper industry will shut down after some years. All the people I know use computers for reading documents.

Meaning:  In general, “recession” means the act of receding or withdrawing from something or somewhere. In terms of money, a recession is a period of decreased economic activity where people lose jobs and things get more expensive. The last major recession happened in 2008  and affected most of the world.

I could not find a job for a whole year after the recession of 2008. I even had to sell my car to pay my rent.

Meaning:  In today’s world we generally use this word for the official currencies of different countries. Dollar, pound, rupee, yen, ruble, etc. are all examples of currency.

The US dollar is an international currency because it can be used in almost every country of the world.

For more financial vocabulary, take a look at this post !

Meaning:  This phrase is used when you want to mock someone who spends without thinking. It means that money is hard to earn and it’s not free, unlike the leaves of any tree.

He asked me if I could buy him a laptop and I just told him that I couldn’t afford it. Money doesn’t grow on trees!

Meaning:  Squirrels have this amusing habit of storing away large amounts of food in secret places for the winter. When someone does the same thing with money, we use this idiom. Generally, someone does this so they have a substantial amount of money they can use in times of crisis.

Luckily, I had squirreled away around ten thousand dollars that helped me a lot during the recession.

Meaning:  To break the bank is to use all your money to buy something. It’s also used when you need to say that something is far too costly and you cannot afford it.

There’s no way I can go on vacation to Miami. I’ll need to break the bank just to buy the plane tickets.

Meaning:  Bread and butter is often considered to be the essential diet of many English-speaking people. In terms of money, it’s used for the work you do to earn your basic income, with which you can feed yourself and your family.

Although I like writing novels, being a banker is my bread and butter .

Meaning:  To be “broke” or “flat broke” is to have absolutely no money. It’s informally used to mean that you are having difficulty buying even basic things like good food or bus tickets.

With this salary, I’m always flat broke by the end of the month. I think I need to find another job.

Meaning:  When you give a rough estimate of some calculations involving money, you use this idiom.

Although I’ll have to check how much this house will cost you exactly, I can give a ballpark figure of around ten thousand per month.

Meaning: When something is very expensive, it costs an arm and a leg.

After they canceled our flights, we had to hire a car and drive across the country to make it home in time for Christmas. It cost us an arm and a leg !

Meaning: This idiom is used to say that money is being wasted. 

He bought a brand new car but doesn’t even use it. I can’t help but think that he’s thrown money down the drain .

Meaning: When you have a lot of money, often more than necessary, then you are said to have money to burn (spend or waste).

Five years ago he won the lottery and invested everything. He now has a lot of money to burn .

Meaning: This idiom refers to being more careful with your money and spending less.

Lately, he’s been trying to tighten his belt and only buy what he really needs.

Learning new vocabulary and witty English idioms is important to talk about money.

It’s also essential to know what you should not say in a simple English conversation . Money can be a very sensitive subject for people. For instance, asking someone what their salary is, especially when you’re meeting them for the first time, is thought to be extremely rude in English-speaking societies.

Saying that someone else is having financial difficulties in front of other people can be seen as an attempt to make the other person look bad. But if you share your own financial difficulties with other people, they’ll often think that you trust them and this can make your relationship stronger.

For some real-life examples of people talking about money, check out these videos:

• A YouTuber  talks about how he earns his income. Notice how he mentions that he was hesitant about making this video even though his fans were interested in it since the beginning.
• In this video, you’ll see a role-play where the audience is taught strategies to ask for a raise from your employer .
• This video gives you tips on how to haggle  for a used car.

These are just a few examples of people discussing money. 

You can find more examples like these by listening to podcasts that talk about money-related topics . You can also watch native speakers discuss money and other topics in authentic English videos on FluentU .

FluentU takes authentic videos—like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks—and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.

You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download the iOS app or Android app.

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You can also use apps like Duolingo or Memrise that have vocabulary lists specifically related to money and brush up on your vocabulary before you dive into listening.

This is everything you need to know to start talking about money in English. Try to use the words and the idioms in places where it feels right.

And never be afraid to make mistakes! You’ll learn a lot just by talking to native speakers who are enthusiastic about money.

If you like learning English through movies and online media, you should also check out FluentU. FluentU lets you learn English from popular talk shows, catchy music videos and funny commercials , as you can see here:

If you want to watch it, the FluentU app has probably got it.

The FluentU app and website makes it really easy to watch English videos. There are captions that are interactive. That means you can tap on any word to see an image, definition, and useful examples.

FluentU lets you learn engaging content with world famous celebrities.

For example, when you tap on the word "searching," you see this:

FluentU lets you tap to look up any word.

Learn all the vocabulary in any video with quizzes. Swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you’re learning.

FluentU helps you learn fast with useful questions and multiple examples. Learn more.

The best part? FluentU remembers the vocabulary that you’re learning. It gives you extra practice with difficult words—and reminds you when it’s time to review what you’ve learned. You have a truly personalized experience.

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Essay on Money

Money is a significant part of human civilisation. It is difficult to think about the world without money. Everybody needs money for various purposes, starting from day-to-day transactions to savings for the future. But if we go back to history, we will find that before money came into existence, there was a barter system to facilitate transactions among individuals in society. With the development of civilisation over time, the barter system lost its ground and was replaced by money. This essay on money will provide ideas to students so they can effectively write essays on this topic. They can also check out the list of CBSE Essays to practise more essays on different topics and boost their writing skills.

500+ Words Essay on Money

Money is any object or record that is generally accepted as payment for goods and services and repayment of debts which also acts as a standard of deferred payments. The main functions of money are distinguished as: a medium of exchange, a unit of account and a store of value. The money supply of a country consists of currency (banknotes and coins) and bank money. Bank money usually forms the largest part of the money supply.

With the help of money, we can fulfil our dream. We can go on trips to various places, eat tasty food, buy a beautiful house and can buy any luxury items. Many businessmen earn a lot of money by making profits from their businesses. They provide services or make products that people need and make money from them. Now, there are many industries and startups which have set up their business and gained success. But still, there are many people who use illegal modes to earn money and become a part of corruption.

Significance of Money in Economy

Money plays an important role in shaping the economy of any country. Money can stimulate or even hamper economic progress. Money affects the income, output, employment, consumption and economic welfare of the community at large. Money through its purchasing power increases consumption and, as a store of value, increases investment, and employment and leads to economic development.

Demonetisation in India

The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, announced demonetisation on 8th November 2016, where Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes were withdrawn from circulation. It was a major event of the year 2016. The demonetisation decision was taken by the Government in consultation with the RBI. The action was taken to tackle Black Money which is available in various forms like cash, investment in property and real estate, luxury goods like jewellery or with foreign currency dealers and private financiers. The target was to curb the use of black money.

The other motto of demonetisation was to reduce corruption. With demonetisation, the cash in the hands of corrupt people becomes useless, and if the same is deposited in the banks, it loses anonymity, and the person has to pay taxes on the said amount.

The demonetisation also helped in promoting digitalisation through online transactions. A large section of the Indian economy was being run on the cash system, which does not get captured by the tax department as it does not leave any trail. So, the Government thought about promoting digitisation and formalisation of the economy through online transactions, e-wallets, and various payment instruments like Paytm, Rupay cards, the BHIM app etc. The beauty of these instruments is that the entire economic activity gets captured. It reduces tax evasion and improves tax collection.

Students must have found this essay on money useful for improving their essay-writing skills. They can get the study material and the latest updates on CBSE/ICSE/State Board/Competitive Exams, at BYJU’S.

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How To Talk To Kids About Money—And Why You Should Do So Early

Joules Garcia/Investopedia

If you're like most parents, you want your kids to grow up to be financially secure. However, you might find it challenging to start the conversations about money that lead to a solid foundation for future success.

According to a 2020 T. Rowe Price survey, 41% of parents experience some anxiety discussing financial matters with their kids. More recently, the 2024 Her Money Mindset survey from Investopedia and REAL SIMPLE found 20% of parent respondents didn't discuss money with their kids at all. 

While money conversations can feel intimidating, you don't have to be a money expert to teach your children invaluable lessons about personal finance. Here's how to get the money conversation started, make talks age-appropriate, and weave financial literacy into your everyday parenting. 

Key Takeaways

• Sharing age-appropriate money details with your kids helps them to learn the value of a dollar.
• Parents can use books and apps to increase financial literacy in their children.
• Incorporating money conversations into everyday life can reinforce financial literacy and money management skills.
• Avoid fear- or shame-based tactics to scare kids away from bad habits. Instead, keep positive play and practice central to any discussion of money.

Why Talking About Money With Kids Matters

You may think your child is too young to talk about money. However, kids pick up cues about money—and what it can buy—from the world around them. Young children are already influenced by their external environment, from seeing ads on TV and online to hearing peers talk about vacations and toys. These influences shape their tastes, which will inform their perception of money later in life. 

Kids need a knowledgeable and loving adult to help them process these influences and align them with realistic expectations.

"Children will learn about money from watching and listening to their parents, whether their parents talk to them about money or not," says Jen Mayer, an accredited financial counselor and co-founder of Fully Funded . Mayer says that talking openly about money—how it's earned, managed, and saved—helps kids understand that resources are limited. 

By getting kids involved with hands-on money lessons early, you prepare them to manage their finances independently later. Young people who enter adulthood lacking basic financial literacy are vulnerable to money struggles and get-rich-quick-schemes.

You can start teaching kids about money as early as when they learn to count. Use cash and coins to teach them math basics. As they age, increase their level of responsibility over household spending.

Age-Appropriate Money Conversations Start Young

The Her Money Mindset Survey from Investopedia and Real Simple found most parents feel their children should learn about money once they are 7-10 years old. Most women respondents who said they don't talk to their kids about money said it's because their children are too young. However, developmental research shows that children actually start to form emotional reactions to spending and saving money as early as 5-years-old. These attitudes actually translated to real-life spending behaviors later in life, too.

No only can early lessons sink in, but sharing age-appropriate money details with your kids makes them feel included and respected. They see you model transparency, trustworthiness, and responsibility. But it is easier said than done.

A preschooler will grasp very different money concepts than a high schooler, and you might not know where to begin. According to Dr. Traci Williams , a board-certified clinical psychologist and certified financial therapist, you should anticipate that your kids might not immediately understand or engage with the topics you're presenting. 

Don't feel that you've failed if your kids don't engage with financial discussions right away. Williams says that when you first start trying to have money conversations "your child may not seem to care and that's OK. At their age, money isn't a priority for them. Continue to share information as the opportunity arises, and try to make it relevant to them and their interests." 

Ages 3-5: Play Money

The preschool crowd is still building basic cognitive skills, so keep money talks brief but frequent. Weave them into playtime, daily routines, and hands-on activities.

"Preschoolers can help you count your change and begin learning the denominations of our currency. Play at an imaginary store or restaurant with your toddler or preschooler to demonstrate the process of paying for items," says Williams. "As your child gets older, you can explain how you use money, using trips outside the home as learning opportunities." 

Older preschoolers can read the total at the checkout counter, help you pay the cashier, and count the change. These activities help them understand the basic concept of exchanging money in return for goods and services. They also develop solid vocabulary, knowing the difference between coins and cash.

Once kids have grasped these foundational ideas, Mayer says they can benefit from learning to categorize their money—in other words, they can learn that not all the money they receive goes towards spending. 

"The three-category system of 'spend, save, give' is a good foundation to help kids learn how to be intentional about their money, and teach the habit of saving from an early age," she explains.

Ages 6-10: Allowance Time

Three-quarters of parent respondents to Real Simple and Investopedia's survey say that children should learn about money during this time (age 7+). Introducing an allowance is one way to start imparting practical money lessons.  

If you do choose to give your kids an allowance, you can use it to help them set age-appropriate savings goals, like a new toy, gift for someone, or donation to a cause. Guide them through the process of planning and budgeting .

If you're not into allowances, you can still go with them to open their first bank account . This helps them gain familiarity with banks and all the paperwork that goes into managing their own money.

Williams advises leaning on everyday activities as low-stakes opportunities to introduce money talks. At the grocery store, teach children to compare the prices of products not just by looking at the stickers, but also sizes. On the older end of this age range, kids know enough about math to participate fully in budgeting decisions, coupon clipping, and in-store shopping. 

Williams says you can also draw out your kids' motivations by creating a family project around saving for a particular goal, like a special outing or an item the whole family will enjoy. Otherwise, try embedding the same lessons by doing a deep dive into the value of money around fundraisers for their class, scouts, or religious groups. 

Ages 11-13: Balancing Wants and Needs

Kids start weighing their own interests and gain an understanding of smart shopping choices in the tween years. When they request the latest toy or electronics, have them compare features, prices, and quality to determine if the value matches the cost. If they have an allowance, help them craft a savings plan and teach them how to shop around for deals—online and in-store.

This is also a perfect time to make them responsible for monitoring their bank account balances. Doing so can help them make better use of gift-giving seasons—do they want grandma to send toys or would they prefer she deposit the value into their accounts, so they can pay for a summer camp or meet a savings goal? Kids can grasp value at this age, which makes it a great time to help them establish a sound compass around what matters most to them.

This is also a good age to introduce money apps and books that they can play with and read independently. 

Ages 14-18: Hands-On Practice

Parents have a responsibility to equip teens with independent money management skills. This is an impressionable time in their lives and lessons learned during this phase can be particularly long-lasting. Older teens will start to get offers for college, jobs, and credit cards—all of which will impact their personal finances for the rest of their lives.  

Williams says that now is the time to model good money habits. Your kids observe more than you realize, so how you spend your money matters just as much as how you talk about money. Try reading some college savings and career planning books together and discussing whether or not the tips and theories resonate with them. Personal finance isn't one size fits all. 

Teens will also benefit from discussions around the emotional aspects of spending and saving. If you're doing it right, this is a time when they will call you out on your own money missteps. This helps them establish their individual money scripts and stories, as differentiated from the ones they inherited from you. 

Your own money stories might evolve during this soon-to-be empty nester period; together, you can learn how the job market and economy are changing and how you'll confront them from your different stages of adulthood. 

Incorporate Money Into Everyday Conversations 

If formal sit-downs to talk finances don't fly with your kids, try teaching real-life money skills on the fly instead. Integrate financial literacy on the daily:

• Big milestones : Help kids understand that paying for a new car, house, or college degree takes years of forethought. It is easy enough to get them involved in saving, but you also need to teach them about debt. Since most of these items are purchased with loans, seize the opportunity to talk about interest rates, repayment terms, and inflation. Since milestone purchases take time to decide, you can stretch out the lessons over weeks or months.
• Online shopping : Let kids research prices for similar items across websites. Help them evaluate taxes, shipping or pick-up, warranties, return policies, and more. Now is a good time to chat about internet safety—keeping credit and debit card numbers safe from identity theft.
• Stores : Let each kid select a few items on the list within a set budget. Then have them find and calculate the total cost of their items, with tax. 
• Trips : Traveling to other countries is enriching because it lets kids compare cultures and learn new practices. If you take an international vacation, teach kids about different currencies and let them calculate how much their favorite foods or toys cost in this new place. Help them understand the basics of trade (imports/exports) and why some things are priced higher or lower in different parts of the world.

How To Overcome Common Roadblocks

Even with the best intentions, let's be honest: Money talks get tricky. When you've got financial anxiety or trauma, opening up is hard. Remember, there's no need to be perfect or to know it all. Just showing kids how you overcome money challenges builds empathy and resilience. 

Don't Rely on School

Though schools today teach some money basics, most don't dig deep into all the money topics kids will face in adulthood. Only 25 U.S. states has some sort of formal financial literacy education requirements in place for high school students. Real-life financial decisions boil down to accounting and statistics, so it's surprising that both topics get short shrift in schools. This means that money habits have to come from home, and you're going to be their most important teacher. 

Don't Tell Yourself It's Too Late 

Any age is the right age to start money talks. Use everyday spending moments to weave in quick lessons. With time, keep the conversation going by comparing old prices to new ones and constantly questioning if purchases are really worth it . 

It is never too late to start talking about money with your kids, even if they're adults. All too often, parents avoid topics like their own retirement , long-term care, and inheritance plans, which directly affect their adult kids. Even if you're not ready to talk about financial literacy with your children, try talking with them about your life plans and how you intend to fund them.

Financial planners report that often adult children are caught unawares by the passing of a parent. Be sure to share estate planning documents and bank account or insurance info well before your kids are ever called upon to use them.

Don't Forget That Managing Money Is a Team Sport

Because there's so much shame around money, many people only talk about it in hushed tones. It's easy to think that each individual is the sole person responsible for their money successes or follies, but that's not true. Often, money is managed in concert with others with whom your child might not be familiar.

Managing money means juggling a lot more than just your personal spending and saving habits. Talk with kids about the entire ecosystem around money so that they know how to get money help when they need it.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How can i start talking to my child about money.

Start money conversations early, using age-appropriate topics. 

Weave lessons organically into everyday routines. Use errands, allowance, and family decisions to introduce money topics. Make discussions engaging and relevant. Let kids share opinions, face consequences, and solve minor money problems.

Are There Any Recommended Books or Apps for Teaching Kids About Money?

Check your local library for age-appropriate storybooks about earning, saving, smart spending, and more to share with your kids. You can also try some of these resources:

• Allowance tracker apps : Apps like FamZoo , Rooster Money , and BusyKid help kids visualize savings progress and budgeting in a fun, engaging way.
• Games and workshops : Many credit unions and banks offer financial literacy games, summer camps, and workshops. 
• Government resources : The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau creates free financial education resources like this helpful Youth Financial Education curriculum . States like Connecticut offer financial education portals for teachers, parents, and kids.
• Websites : JumpStart Coalition and MoneyConfidentKids offer interactive games, printable worksheets, and parenting tips.

What Are the Common Challenges Parents Face When Discussing Money With Kids?

"If you use complicated terms or go into elaborate detail, you'll lose your kids' interest. Keep it simple!" Dr. Williams advises. Start with basic vocabulary and then work your way up to more complex ideas around debt and investing. This may take years.

Expect your kids to misunderstand, tune out, or ignore you at first. Don't let frustration thwart your efforts. Instead, try to integrate money matters consistently into your daily family life. 

A common challenge is balancing how much information about your own money scripts and struggles to share with your children. For each parent, this will be different. Of course, you don't want them to inherit your traumas or bad habits, but you also don't want to shelter them for too long. 

Rather than starting from the negative with what you can't afford, try talking with your kids about how you can learn new tricks to expand the positive—what you will be able to do and afford in the future. Teach the value of delayed gratification while improving your money hygiene side-by-side with your kids.

The Bottom Line

You don't have to be a money expert to teach your children about the value of a dollar. Learn alongside your child, teach them how to make sound financial decisions, and point them in the direction of credible resources that can support every part of their financial life. 

T. Rowe Price. " T. Rowe Price: Parents Putting on a Financial Façade Are More Reluctant To Discuss Money With Their Kids ." 

FINRA Investor Education Foundation. " Exposed to Scams What Separates Victims From Non-Victims? " Pages 1, 8.

Smith, Craig E. and et al. " Spendthrifts and Tightwads in Childhood: Feelings about Spending Predict Children's Financial Decision-Making ." Journal of Behavioral Decision Making , vol. 31, no. 3, July 2018, pp. 446-460.

Next Gen Personal Finance. " Live U.S. Dashboard: Guarantee States ."

Cambridge Trust. " Bridging the Gap: The Importance of Estate Planning Through Generations ." Page 3. 

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Money Talk: Newlyweds wonder if it’s the time to buy a home

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Dear Liz: My husband and I are newlyweds and looking into purchasing a home. However, many homes in our area sell for $50,000 and more over the asking prices, which already are pretty high. We have stable jobs, but our dilemma is whether we should go into the market now or continue to save and wait a year or two.

Answer: The best time to buy a home is when you can afford to do so. It’s hard to time any market, but that’s especially true for real estate. If you put off buying a home hoping for a correction, you could be waiting a long time.

The supply of houses for sale is low in many areas. Often homeowners are reluctant to sell, even if they want to trade up, downsize or move, because they don’t want to give up their low-rate mortgages. A drop in mortgage rates likely will induce more people to put their homes on the market, but also could increase competition as buyers get access to more affordable loans.

Also, many homes for sale in tight markets are deliberately underpriced. Sellers hope to spark a frenzy of offers over asking price. You’d be smart to get clear on how much you can afford to pay — consider consulting a fee-only financial planner — and to enlist the services of a good real estate agent who understands your local market.

More credit score drama over a missed payment

Dear Liz: You responded to a woman who was concerned that a missed payment had hurt her credit score. My situation is also about a missed payment. In fall 2018, I received a dunning letter from a bill collector. I did a ton of research because I never received the bill that ruined my previously stellar credit rating (840). My rating sank by 200 points even after the retailer involved acknowledged that I never received the bills. Their office showed all the bills, although addressed correctly, were returned as undeliverable. The executive with whom I had lots of interaction wrote all the bureaus explaining the error was the retailer’s. The credit bureaus did nothing to restore my credit rating. It has been six years and I continue to pay in full on time as I had for the 45 years before 2018. My payment behavior has done little to improve my low score. Maybe 2025 will bring relief, as that will be seven years since the collection letter.

Answer: Your situation offers the opportunity to clarify a few things that confuse many consumers.

The first and most important: We are responsible for paying our credit card bills whether we receive those bills or not. Mail goes astray, emails wind up in junk folders, but if there’s a balance on our credit cards we’re supposed to pay at least the minimum when the due date rolls around. As mentioned in the previous column, setting up automatic payments can prevent missed payments. At a minimum, you should mark your calendar with your cards’ due dates and submit your payments, preferably electronically, in time to avoid late fees. Having online access to your credit accounts can help you track balances, and you can set up email or text alerts to remind you to pay.

Next, the executive you talked to either didn’t understand the credit reporting system or wasn’t entirely frank with you. The credit bureaus’ files reflect what creditors tell them. It’s a dynamic system, with information constantly being updated. If the retailer agreed that the late payments shouldn’t be reported, then it should have stopped reporting the erroneous information. Instead of corresponding with the bureaus, the executive should have been talking to the retailer’s finance arm.

If the executive provided you with a copy of the letter sent to the bureaus, however, you can use that to correct the record. Dispute the late payments with the bureaus and use the letter to back up your claim.

By now, your scores should have regained most of the ground lost to this unfortunate incident. If that’s not the case, something else is wrong with your credit reports. You should request free copies of your reports from AnnualCreditReport.com and scrutinize them closely. (If you’re asked for a credit card, you’re on the wrong site.)

Liz Weston, Certified Financial Planner®, is a personal finance columnist. Questions may be sent to her at 3940 Laurel Canyon, No. 238, Studio City, CA 91604, or by using the “Contact” form at asklizweston.com .

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April 21, 2024

Liz Weston, Certified Financial Planner, is a personal finance columnist for the Los Angeles Times and NerdWallet. Questions may be sent to her at 3940 Laurel Canyon, No. 238, Studio City, CA 91604, or by using the “Contact” form at asklizweston.com.

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How to Talk About Money With Family – And Why It’s Important

Experts say not to skip family discussions about finances – here's how to have them.

Talking About Money with Family

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Avoiding these conversations can ultimately lead to more significant conflicts or problems down the road.

No matter how great your relationship is with your family, there are some topics you just don’t enjoy talking about with them. At the top of that list for many families is money.

Money is an inherently emotional topic, and when you layer in family dynamics, it’s easy for disagreements to get blown out of proportion when emotions take hold.

A recent report from Edelman Financial Engines found that more than a quarter of those surveyed have had fights with extended family over their finances. But financial conversations among family members are essential. Keep reading to find out why.

Experts Say Not to Skip Family Discussions About Finances

Still, experts say that it’s essential to talk to your family about financial issues – especially when it comes to estate and inheritance topics . Avoiding these conversations can ultimately lead to more significant conflicts or problems down the road.

“It’s important for parents to talk to their adult children about money so that it gives them the knowledge to make better financial decisions,” Craig Kirsner, president of Kirsner Wealth Management in Coconut Creek, Florida, says.

“It can help reduce their financial stress and ultimately improve their financial security. It’s important to discuss and foster a culture of saving and investing and wise spending within families,” he adds.

The Edelman Financial Engines report found that 38% of Americans wished they had talked more to their families about finances and financial goals. More than 80% said talking about finances helps resolve disagreements.

How Do You Start a Conversation With Family About Money?

Having financial talks with family is easier said than done. Follow these tips to make the conversations go more smoothly:

1. Schedule a Family Meeting

It’s easy to put off uncomfortable conversations, so force your family to get started by putting a meeting on the calendar. Pick one or two topics to focus on at first (your estate plan, for example, or a request for help with a home down payment) to keep the meeting focused.

“When it comes to estate planning, you don’t necessarily have to share exact dollar amounts, but you should discuss expectations about how things are going to be divided up,” Brett Anderson, president of St. Croix Advisors in Woodbury, Minnesota, says.

Do your best to listen respectfully and without judgment to all parties during the conversation. If the discussion gets heated, take a break and agree to return to the discussion when emotions have cooled.  

2. Bring In Third-Party Help

There are some financial decisions for which multiple family members simply can't find common ground. In those instances, bringing in a neutral third party, such as a financial advisor or a money coach, can help move the conversation forward, according to Nick Foulks, advisor and director of communications strategy and client engagement at Great Waters Financial.

3. Keep the Conversation Going

The more you talk about money, the easier it gets. So, plan to revisit your money conversations once a year or so. That gives you an opportunity to talk about how financial situations may have changed or if there are goals or other financial milestones you want to let your family know about.

“It’s better to be proactive than reactive,” Connor Spiro, senior financial consultant at John Hancock Advice in Boston, says. “God forbid that day comes and the appropriate information or discussions haven’t been had. That can leave the adult children with quite a headache and cause some of those money conflicts among siblings or other relatives, potentially.”

Create and Maintain a Family Budget

Maryalene LaPonsie April 18, 2023

Tags: money , personal finance , family

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Choose Your Test

Sat / act prep online guides and tips, getting college essay help: important do's and don’ts.

College Essays

If you grow up to be a professional writer, everything you write will first go through an editor before being published. This is because the process of writing is really a process of re-writing —of rethinking and reexamining your work, usually with the help of someone else. So what does this mean for your student writing? And in particular, what does it mean for very important, but nonprofessional writing like your college essay? Should you ask your parents to look at your essay? Pay for an essay service?

If you are wondering what kind of help you can, and should, get with your personal statement, you've come to the right place! In this article, I'll talk about what kind of writing help is useful, ethical, and even expected for your college admission essay . I'll also point out who would make a good editor, what the differences between editing and proofreading are, what to expect from a good editor, and how to spot and stay away from a bad one.

Table of Contents

What Kind of Help for Your Essay Can You Get?

What's Good Editing?

What should an editor do for you, what kind of editing should you avoid, proofreading, what's good proofreading, what kind of proofreading should you avoid.

What Do Colleges Think Of You Getting Help With Your Essay?

Who Can/Should Help You?

Advice for editors.

Should You Pay Money For Essay Editing?

The Bottom Line

What's next, what kind of help with your essay can you get.

Rather than talking in general terms about "help," let's first clarify the two different ways that someone else can improve your writing . There is editing, which is the more intensive kind of assistance that you can use throughout the whole process. And then there's proofreading, which is the last step of really polishing your final product.

Let me go into some more detail about editing and proofreading, and then explain how good editors and proofreaders can help you."

Editing is helping the author (in this case, you) go from a rough draft to a finished work . Editing is the process of asking questions about what you're saying, how you're saying it, and how you're organizing your ideas. But not all editing is good editing . In fact, it's very easy for an editor to cross the line from supportive to overbearing and over-involved.

Ability to clarify assignments. A good editor is usually a good writer, and certainly has to be a good reader. For example, in this case, a good editor should make sure you understand the actual essay prompt you're supposed to be answering.

Open-endedness. Good editing is all about asking questions about your ideas and work, but without providing answers. It's about letting you stick to your story and message, and doesn't alter your point of view.

Think of an editor as a great travel guide. It can show you the many different places your trip could take you. It should explain any parts of the trip that could derail your trip or confuse the traveler. But it never dictates your path, never forces you to go somewhere you don't want to go, and never ignores your interests so that the trip no longer seems like it's your own. So what should good editors do?

Help Brainstorm Topics

Sometimes it's easier to bounce thoughts off of someone else. This doesn't mean that your editor gets to come up with ideas, but they can certainly respond to the various topic options you've come up with. This way, you're less likely to write about the most boring of your ideas, or to write about something that isn't actually important to you.

If you're wondering how to come up with options for your editor to consider, check out our guide to brainstorming topics for your college essay .

Help Revise Your Drafts

Here, your editor can't upset the delicate balance of not intervening too much or too little. It's tricky, but a great way to think about it is to remember: editing is about asking questions, not giving answers .

Revision questions should point out:

• Places where more detail or more description would help the reader connect with your essay
• Places where structure and logic don't flow, losing the reader's attention
• Places where there aren't transitions between paragraphs, confusing the reader
• Moments where your narrative or the arguments you're making are unclear

But pointing to potential problems is not the same as actually rewriting—editors let authors fix the problems themselves.

Bad editing is usually very heavy-handed editing. Instead of helping you find your best voice and ideas, a bad editor changes your writing into their own vision.

You may be dealing with a bad editor if they:

• Add material (examples, descriptions) that doesn't come from you
• Use a thesaurus to make your college essay sound "more mature"
• Add meaning or insight to the essay that doesn't come from you
• Tell you what to say and how to say it
• Write sentences, phrases, and paragraphs for you
• Change your voice in the essay so it no longer sounds like it was written by a teenager

Colleges can tell the difference between a 17-year-old's writing and a 50-year-old's writing. Not only that, they have access to your SAT or ACT Writing section, so they can compare your essay to something else you wrote. Writing that's a little more polished is great and expected. But a totally different voice and style will raise questions.

Where's the Line Between Helpful Editing and Unethical Over-Editing?

Sometimes it's hard to tell whether your college essay editor is doing the right thing. Here are some guidelines for staying on the ethical side of the line.

• An editor should say that the opening paragraph is kind of boring, and explain what exactly is making it drag. But it's overstepping for an editor to tell you exactly how to change it.
• An editor should point out where your prose is unclear or vague. But it's completely inappropriate for the editor to rewrite that section of your essay.
• An editor should let you know that a section is light on detail or description. But giving you similes and metaphors to beef up that description is a no-go.

Proofreading (also called copy-editing) is checking for errors in the last draft of a written work. It happens at the end of the process and is meant as the final polishing touch. Proofreading is meticulous and detail-oriented, focusing on small corrections. It sands off all the surface rough spots that could alienate the reader.

Because proofreading is usually concerned with making fixes on the word or sentence level, this is the only process where someone else can actually add to or take away things from your essay . This is because what they are adding or taking away tends to be one or two misplaced letters.

Laser focus. Proofreading is all about the tiny details, so the ability to really concentrate on finding small slip-ups is a must.

Excellent grammar and spelling skills. Proofreaders need to dot every "i" and cross every "t." Good proofreaders should correct spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and grammar. They should put foreign words in italics and surround quotations with quotation marks. They should check that you used the correct college's name, and that you adhered to any formatting requirements (name and date at the top of the page, uniform font and size, uniform spacing).

Limited interference. A proofreader needs to make sure that you followed any word limits. But if cuts need to be made to shorten the essay, that's your job and not the proofreader's.

A bad proofreader either tries to turn into an editor, or just lacks the skills and knowledge necessary to do the job.

Some signs that you're working with a bad proofreader are:

• If they suggest making major changes to the final draft of your essay. Proofreading happens when editing is already finished.
• If they aren't particularly good at spelling, or don't know grammar, or aren't detail-oriented enough to find someone else's small mistakes.
• If they start swapping out your words for fancier-sounding synonyms, or changing the voice and sound of your essay in other ways. A proofreader is there to check for errors, not to take the 17-year-old out of your writing.

What Do Colleges Think of Your Getting Help With Your Essay?

Admissions officers agree: light editing and proofreading are good—even required ! But they also want to make sure you're the one doing the work on your essay. They want essays with stories, voice, and themes that come from you. They want to see work that reflects your actual writing ability, and that focuses on what you find important.

On the Importance of Editing

Get feedback. Have a fresh pair of eyes give you some feedback. Don't allow someone else to rewrite your essay, but do take advantage of others' edits and opinions when they seem helpful. ( Bates College )

Read your essay aloud to someone. Reading the essay out loud offers a chance to hear how your essay sounds outside your head. This exercise reveals flaws in the essay's flow, highlights grammatical errors and helps you ensure that you are communicating the exact message you intended. ( Dickinson College )

On the Value of Proofreading

Share your essays with at least one or two people who know you well—such as a parent, teacher, counselor, or friend—and ask for feedback. Remember that you ultimately have control over your essays, and your essays should retain your own voice, but others may be able to catch mistakes that you missed and help suggest areas to cut if you are over the word limit. ( Yale University )

Proofread and then ask someone else to proofread for you. Although we want substance, we also want to be able to see that you can write a paper for our professors and avoid careless mistakes that would drive them crazy. ( Oberlin College )

On Watching Out for Too Much Outside Influence

Limit the number of people who review your essay. Too much input usually means your voice is lost in the writing style. ( Carleton College )

Ask for input (but not too much). Your parents, friends, guidance counselors, coaches, and teachers are great people to bounce ideas off of for your essay. They know how unique and spectacular you are, and they can help you decide how to articulate it. Keep in mind, however, that a 45-year-old lawyer writes quite differently from an 18-year-old student, so if your dad ends up writing the bulk of your essay, we're probably going to notice. ( Vanderbilt University )

Now let's talk about some potential people to approach for your college essay editing and proofreading needs. It's best to start close to home and slowly expand outward. Not only are your family and friends more invested in your success than strangers, but they also have a better handle on your interests and personality. This knowledge is key for judging whether your essay is expressing your true self.

Parents or Close Relatives

Your family may be full of potentially excellent editors! Parents are deeply committed to your well-being, and family members know you and your life well enough to offer details or incidents that can be included in your essay. On the other hand, the rewriting process necessarily involves criticism, which is sometimes hard to hear from someone very close to you.

A parent or close family member is a great choice for an editor if you can answer "yes" to the following questions. Is your parent or close relative a good writer or reader? Do you have a relationship where editing your essay won't create conflict? Are you able to constructively listen to criticism and suggestion from the parent?

One suggestion for defusing face-to-face discussions is to try working on the essay over email. Send your parent a draft, have them write you back some comments, and then you can pick which of their suggestions you want to use and which to discard.

Teachers or Tutors

A humanities teacher that you have a good relationship with is a great choice. I am purposefully saying humanities, and not just English, because teachers of Philosophy, History, Anthropology, and any other classes where you do a lot of writing, are all used to reviewing student work.

Moreover, any teacher or tutor that has been working with you for some time, knows you very well and can vet the essay to make sure it "sounds like you."

If your teacher or tutor has some experience with what college essays are supposed to be like, ask them to be your editor. If not, then ask whether they have time to proofread your final draft.

Guidance or College Counselor at Your School

The best thing about asking your counselor to edit your work is that this is their job. This means that they have a very good sense of what colleges are looking for in an application essay.

At the same time, school counselors tend to have relationships with admissions officers in many colleges, which again gives them insight into what works and which college is focused on what aspect of the application.

Unfortunately, in many schools the guidance counselor tends to be way overextended. If your ratio is 300 students to 1 college counselor, you're unlikely to get that person's undivided attention and focus. It is still useful to ask them for general advice about your potential topics, but don't expect them to be able to stay with your essay from first draft to final version.

Friends, Siblings, or Classmates

Although they most likely don't have much experience with what colleges are hoping to see, your peers are excellent sources for checking that your essay is you .

Friends and siblings are perfect for the read-aloud edit. Read your essay to them so they can listen for words and phrases that are stilted, pompous, or phrases that just don't sound like you.

You can even trade essays and give helpful advice on each other's work.

If your editor hasn't worked with college admissions essays very much, no worries! Any astute and attentive reader can still greatly help with your process. But, as in all things, beginners do better with some preparation.

First, your editor should read our advice about how to write a college essay introduction , how to spot and fix a bad college essay , and get a sense of what other students have written by going through some admissions essays that worked .

Then, as they read your essay, they can work through the following series of questions that will help them to guide you.

Introduction Questions

• Is the first sentence a killer opening line? Why or why not?
• Does the introduction hook the reader? Does it have a colorful, detailed, and interesting narrative? Or does it propose a compelling or surprising idea?
• Can you feel the author's voice in the introduction, or is the tone dry, dull, or overly formal? Show the places where the voice comes through.

Essay Body Questions

• Does the essay have a through-line? Is it built around a central argument, thought, idea, or focus? Can you put this idea into your own words?
• How is the essay organized? By logical progression? Chronologically? Do you feel order when you read it, or are there moments where you are confused or lose the thread of the essay?
• Does the essay have both narratives about the author's life and explanations and insight into what these stories reveal about the author's character, personality, goals, or dreams? If not, which is missing?
• Does the essay flow? Are there smooth transitions/clever links between paragraphs? Between the narrative and moments of insight?

Reader Response Questions

• Does the writer's personality come through? Do we know what the speaker cares about? Do we get a sense of "who he or she is"?
• Where did you feel most connected to the essay? Which parts of the essay gave you a "you are there" sensation by invoking your senses? What moments could you picture in your head well?
• Where are the details and examples vague and not specific enough?
• Did you get an "a-ha!" feeling anywhere in the essay? Is there a moment of insight that connected all the dots for you? Is there a good reveal or "twist" anywhere in the essay?
• What are the strengths of this essay? What needs the most improvement?

Should You Pay Money for Essay Editing?

One alternative to asking someone you know to help you with your college essay is the paid editor route. There are two different ways to pay for essay help: a private essay coach or a less personal editing service , like the many proliferating on the internet.

My advice is to think of these options as a last resort rather than your go-to first choice. I'll first go through the reasons why. Then, if you do decide to go with a paid editor, I'll help you decide between a coach and a service.

When to Consider a Paid Editor

In general, I think hiring someone to work on your essay makes a lot of sense if none of the people I discussed above are a possibility for you.

If you can't ask your parents. For example, if your parents aren't good writers, or if English isn't their first language. Or if you think getting your parents to help is going create unnecessary extra conflict in your relationship with them (applying to college is stressful as it is!)

If you can't ask your teacher or tutor. Maybe you don't have a trusted teacher or tutor that has time to look over your essay with focus. Or, for instance, your favorite humanities teacher has very limited experience with college essays and so won't know what admissions officers want to see.

If you can't ask your guidance counselor. This could be because your guidance counselor is way overwhelmed with other students.

If you can't share your essay with those who know you. It might be that your essay is on a very personal topic that you're unwilling to share with parents, teachers, or peers. Just make sure it doesn't fall into one of the bad-idea topics in our article on bad college essays .

If the cost isn't a consideration. Many of these services are quite expensive, and private coaches even more so. If you have finite resources, I'd say that hiring an SAT or ACT tutor (whether it's PrepScholar or someone else) is better way to spend your money . This is because there's no guarantee that a slightly better essay will sufficiently elevate the rest of your application, but a significantly higher SAT score will definitely raise your applicant profile much more.

Should You Hire an Essay Coach?

On the plus side, essay coaches have read dozens or even hundreds of college essays, so they have experience with the format. Also, because you'll be working closely with a specific person, it's more personal than sending your essay to a service, which will know even less about you.

But, on the minus side, you'll still be bouncing ideas off of someone who doesn't know that much about you . In general, if you can adequately get the help from someone you know, there is no advantage to paying someone to help you.

If you do decide to hire a coach, ask your school counselor, or older students that have used the service for recommendations. If you can't afford the coach's fees, ask whether they can work on a sliding scale —many do. And finally, beware those who guarantee admission to your school of choice—essay coaches don't have any special magic that can back up those promises.

Should You Send Your Essay to a Service?

On the plus side, essay editing services provide a similar product to essay coaches, and they cost significantly less . If you have some assurance that you'll be working with a good editor, the lack of face-to-face interaction won't prevent great results.

On the minus side, however, it can be difficult to gauge the quality of the service before working with them . If they are churning through many application essays without getting to know the students they are helping, you could end up with an over-edited essay that sounds just like everyone else's. In the worst case scenario, an unscrupulous service could send you back a plagiarized essay.

Getting recommendations from friends or a school counselor for reputable services is key to avoiding heavy-handed editing that writes essays for you or does too much to change your essay. Including a badly-edited essay like this in your application could cause problems if there are inconsistencies. For example, in interviews it might be clear you didn't write the essay, or the skill of the essay might not be reflected in your schoolwork and test scores.

Should You Buy an Essay Written by Someone Else?

Let me elaborate. There are super sketchy places on the internet where you can simply buy a pre-written essay. Don't do this!

For one thing, you'll be lying on an official, signed document. All college applications make you sign a statement saying something like this:

I certify that all information submitted in the admission process—including the application, the personal essay, any supplements, and any other supporting materials—is my own work, factually true, and honestly presented... I understand that I may be subject to a range of possible disciplinary actions, including admission revocation, expulsion, or revocation of course credit, grades, and degree, should the information I have certified be false. (From the Common Application )

For another thing, if your academic record doesn't match the essay's quality, the admissions officer will start thinking your whole application is riddled with lies.

Admission officers have full access to your writing portion of the SAT or ACT so that they can compare work that was done in proctored conditions with that done at home. They can tell if these were written by different people. Not only that, but there are now a number of search engines that faculty and admission officers can use to see if an essay contains strings of words that have appeared in other essays—you have no guarantee that the essay you bought wasn't also bought by 50 other students.

• You should get college essay help with both editing and proofreading
• A good editor will ask questions about your idea, logic, and structure, and will point out places where clarity is needed
• A good editor will absolutely not answer these questions, give you their own ideas, or write the essay or parts of the essay for you
• A good proofreader will find typos and check your formatting
• All of them agree that getting light editing and proofreading is necessary
• Parents, teachers, guidance or college counselor, and peers or siblings
• If you can't ask any of those, you can pay for college essay help, but watch out for services or coaches who over-edit you work
• Don't buy a pre-written essay! Colleges can tell, and it'll make your whole application sound false.

Ready to start working on your essay? Check out our explanation of the point of the personal essay and the role it plays on your applications and then explore our step-by-step guide to writing a great college essay .

Using the Common Application for your college applications? We have an excellent guide to the Common App essay prompts and useful advice on how to pick the Common App prompt that's right for you . Wondering how other people tackled these prompts? Then work through our roundup of over 130 real college essay examples published by colleges .

Stressed about whether to take the SAT again before submitting your application? Let us help you decide how many times to take this test . If you choose to go for it, we have the ultimate guide to studying for the SAT to give you the ins and outs of the best ways to study.

Anna scored in the 99th percentile on her SATs in high school, and went on to major in English at Princeton and to get her doctorate in English Literature at Columbia. She is passionate about improving student access to higher education.

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Little-known tech company aims to change how you look at car windows

Your next car’s windows could have a lot of new things to show you — from streaming movies to highlighting points of interest you drive by — if a little-known tech company aiming to expand its presence in Detroit has its way.

Taiwanese supplier AUO brought a concept car to demonstrate features made possible by its advanced glass. AUO also plans to add production in the United States or Mexico, expanding beyond its current manufacturing operations in Taiwan and China.

You can see AUO's handiwork in the new 2024 Lincoln Nautilus' 48-inch wide dashboard display. The widest display on any vehicle sold in North America , the configurable, high-definition display is a major selling point for the new luxury SUV.

Micro LEDs — much smaller and brighter than current LEDs — figure prominently in AUO’s plans, product marketing director Ivan Tang told me in a suburban Detroit warehouse while potential customers filed past to inspect the company’s latest products.

The big deal about little LEDs

The little LEDs are about to be a big deal in consumer products, he said. Expect to see them in phones, TVs and wearable devices.

In vehicles, micro LEDs can be embedded in a panel of glass, preserving its transparency while also displaying anything from infotainment to advanced driver assistance systems.

More: EVs are getting better fast, and you want one. Why you might want to lease, not buy.

“The LEDs are so bright and so small we can have open spaces between them, so the glass remains transparent,” Tang said. In addition to automotive applications, expect to see them in phones, TVs and wearable devices. They can also be used to mimic the appearance of wood or other appealing materials, while also concealing lights or touch points for controls.

If taillights could talk

AUO’s other new automotive products include:

• “Dynamic smart door trim” — essentially door panels that can project light, colors even moving images.
• Taillights that display messages — for instance, showing an electric vehicle’s charging status are also in the works.
• Roll-up display screens that retract into a seat back when not displaying movies or games for passengers.

AUO supplies screens for everything from laptops to televisions. It’s already a major auto supplier, with parts on up to 20% of vehicles in production around the world, but it aims to move up the value chain with Michigan-based designers getting involved early in vehicle development.

Contact Mark Phelan: 313-222-6731 or  [email protected] . Follow him on Twitter  @ mark_phelan . Read more on  autos  and sign up for our  autos newsletter .  Become a subscriber .