The Lottery and Responsible Investing: #FutureSmart App and Education

May 1, 2017





Nice headline, huh? Well, as some folks would have you believe, the state lottery is a fine way to try and double, triple or quadruple your money. In fact, some people are convinced that they’re just a dollar or two away from winning millions of dollars.

But that’s the problem. While society smiles upon the optimism of youth and often the positive attitude of adults, the world is a different place than the lottery gods would have you believe. *I call them gods, but they’re really just marketing folks who create great campaigns to sell lottery tickets.

**On a tangent, did you ever wonder why the state lottery and many casinos (if not all of them) don’t allow their employees to gamble? Think about it. But let’s move on to more responsible investing.

As with any other discipline, investing takes hard work, dedication, a smart game-plan and a goal. According to the folks at Mass Mutual – who asked me to write about an #investing and #financialeducation experience I had – learning #money management early in life helps you achieve the goals you have for education, home ownership and lifestyle.

In fact, when I was at a #FutureSmart event at Boston Garden the other day with folks like Hill Harper and Dave Hoffman, I learned how to leverage a new app Mass Mutual and EverFi introduced for school-age children. It’s called the FutureSmart App and it teaches lessons on the best financial decisions you can make as you get older.

Examples include whether to spend money on flashy sneakers or functional sneakers; and saving the extra money for college. The app also teaches a bit about budgeting giving kids choices between buying a calculator or using their phone (hint! don’t opt for your phone as many schools won’t allow them in class).

Essentially, it’s a really smart way to learn about budgeting and financial options while having fun. You can get the app for iOS and Android at the links below. And you can connect with the #FutureSmart Foundation to learn more.

Google Play: http://po.st/okBddv
iTunes Store: http://po.st/NGfHtl

The quick lesson I’m imparting is to save your money for future purchases and forgo the lottery. As I’d like to point out, there are few things as fruitful as hard work, smart money management, and good financial education.

Be smart and put your lottery money away in a bank or other institution. That way it will be there when you need it and not squandered on elusive dreams of quick riches. Thanks for reading!

**Disclaimer: I was hired by Mass Mutual to attend this learning conference and was provided access to the TD Garden during the #FutureSmart event in March to capture photos and research the financial education session.