Banking basics for teens 14-18

Most teens think a payment app can undo a mistake.
It usually can't.

Banking, Unlocked walks a teen through how money moves between apps and accounts, what you can see as a parent, why the balance on the screen isn't all theirs to spend, how to spot a scam, and 18 months on their own account. It's 5 short lessons, and Lesson 1 is free.

Try Lesson 1 free
✓ 5 lessons, self-paced
✓ Works on any device
✓ Lesson 1 free, no signup
What's inside

How their money moves, one piece at a time.

In FTC data from 2024, about half of fraud reports from people 19 and under involved losing money. Each lesson is short, interactive, and built around a real balance, a real statement, or a real scam message, not a definition to memorize. Every bank, app, and card in it is made up, so it works with whichever ones your family uses.

1

Money That Doesn't Come Back

A stranger sends $80 "by accident" and asks for it back. This lesson shows why sending it costs $80, which payments federal rules protect, and the safe move when money shows up that nobody expected.

⭐ Badge: Send Verifier, free to try
2

Where Your Money Sits

Checking and savings, a joint account next to a custodial one, and what you can see in each as a parent. Then what's insured, what isn't, and what interest really pays.

⭐⭐ Badge: Account Mapper
3

What You Can Actually Spend

Posted, pending, and available, a payday week that moves fast, and the overdraft setting that decides whether a short purchase gets declined or costs a fee. It ends with how to pick a bank worth keeping.

⭐⭐⭐ Badge: Balance Keeper
4

Spot It, Then Lock It Down

The signs of a scam, what to do with a request that might be one, and the fix in order when a card or a login gets stolen, down to a credit freeze.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ Badge: Scam Stopper
5

18 Months On Their Own Account

They set up an account and run it through a gas hold, a fake check, a stolen wallet, and a summer with no paycheck. At month 18 they apply for a car loan, then judge which of their choices moved the answer.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Badge: Banking Basics Graduate
Hey, teen

Somebody sends you $80 by accident and asks for it back.

Send it, and you're out $80. Lesson 1 shows you why, and it's free.

Banking, Unlocked is 5 short lessons you can do on your phone. You'll find out what your balance really means, how to spot a scam before it costs you, and what to do fast when something gets through anyway.

If you want it, send your parents this page. Lesson 1 is free so you can try it first.

Pricing

Banking, Unlocked pricing

Access doesn't expire, there's nothing to renew, and there's no upsell waiting at the end of the course.

$29
Full course, no expiry
✓ All 5 lessons, self-paced
✓ Interactive activities, including a payday week that moves fast and 18 months on their own account
✓ 5 achievement badges
✓ 2 downloadable reference guides: what to do if money goes wrong, and a first account setup guide for parents
✓ Works on phone, tablet, or computer
✓ Lesson 1 always free, so you can try before you buy

Banking, Unlocked is education. It isn't financial advice, and it doesn't recommend a bank.

Want Money and Credit too? Finance Starter, Unlocked has Money, Banking, and Credit for $69.

Try Lesson 1 free first

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FAQ

Good questions.

No. The course supplies the accounts, cards, and paychecks, so it works before the first account is open. That's a good time to take it.
Lesson 2 explains both, side by side: who owns the money, what you can see and do as a parent, and what changes when your teen gets older. It doesn't pick one for you.
It depends on the account type. Lesson 2 puts a joint account, a custodial account, and a teen account in a payment app next to each other, with what each one lets a parent see.
No. Every bank and app in it is made up. It teaches what to compare, like fees, overdraft, and insurance, so your family can judge the real ones.
It teaches how payment apps work in general, so it holds up whichever one your teen uses. The lessons don't name any of them.
No. It's mechanical: the sign of a scam, the right move, and what happens next. Nothing in it is graphic.
No. It's built on rules fixed in federal law, like how much a teen can lose on a stolen card. Fees and interest rates change, so they're taught as how they work, with every example number labeled as an example.
No. It's education about how accounts and payments work. It doesn't recommend a bank, an app, or an account type.
No. Every course stands on its own, and Banking supplies the paycheck and the bills it uses.
Yes. Finance Starter, Unlocked has Money, Banking, and Credit for $69, instead of $97 bought separately.
Banking, Unlocked is built for teens 14-18. The language, examples, and activities are all designed for that age range. It works whether your teen already has an account or hasn't opened one yet.
Each lesson runs roughly 9 to 15 minutes, so the whole course is about an hour, usually spread across a few sittings. It's self-paced, and once your teen sets up their account, progress saves automatically.
Any device with a browser: phone, tablet, laptop, or desktop. There's no app to download, and no account to create to try Lesson 1.
You'll get immediate access to all 5 lessons plus 2 downloadable reference guides. Access doesn't expire, and you buy it once with no time limit.
It's fully self-directed. The First Account Setup Guide is written for you, though, so it's worth reading together before your teen opens an account.

Ready to get started?

Lesson 1 is free. No payment needed to try it.

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