“Go for the experience, stay for the advice”: Highlands Investment Club teaches students practical financial skills

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Mikalah Morgan

The Investment Club meets at 20 N. Grand Avenue in the launch building the second Thursday of each month.

     Saving money is something that a lot of people struggle with comprehending. Teenagers especially don’t understand the idea of saving unless they have a parent or guardian who both has knowledge of how to save and is willing to teach their children. When people are young, they get most of their knowledge from the adults who surround them. However, a lot of these adults don’t have an understanding of the depth of finance themselves, much less enough to teach the next generation. 

     A few students at Highlands High School realized that this was an issue and took initiative to teach students about finance, saving, and more. The Investment Club was their solution. Their goal is to increase the chances of young generations having a good financial future. 

     The Investment Club teaches on a multitude of important topics, from the importance of investing in the stock market to keeping good credit. 

     Investment Club co-leader John Finseth shared one of their recent lessons. “One thing we talked about last week was debt. I was really surprised how big a role debt plays in life, and how impactful it can be. A good credit score and responsible debt can really pay off, in fact, you can save lots of money.”

     Simple purchases such as Netflix, newspaper subscriptions, phone plans, gym fees, and utility bills are just a few examples of debt that can become crippling.

     “Using debt on big, impactful purchases is good and can make you money, but using credit cards or other debt for short term or risky purchases taxes your income and financial success,” said Finseth.  

     Joining this club is a huge step in the right direction financially for all high school students. Having financial knowledge is something that is needed for basic tasks that everyone does when they reach adulthood. Especially when debt can become a problem in someone’s future, an education on how to handle finances could be extremely helpful.

     Investment Club meetings take place from 3:45 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. at 20 Grand Launch, on the second Thursday of each month. Go for the experience, stay for the impacting advice.