Should Kids Start Trading? Take a Stroll Through the Mailbag

As I mentioned this past weekend, I recently had this question posed to me: Would I ever encourage my kids to trade? And in seeking representation of all possible points of view, I encouraged you all to email me directly with some succinct thoughts.

Now, why even devote a column -- and as it turns out, two columns -- to something that perhaps is more Dr. Spock than Mr. Buffett? Because like it or not, playing the market has become our national pastime. Everyone's thinking about it. Everyone's talking about it. Frankly, everyone's doing it. And, unlike when I grew up, it isn't sex I'm talking about, it's trading! Yes, forget about investing -- that quaint subject of old -- it's flipping stocks that everyone's enamored with.

And because it's on the tip of everyone's tongue, it's on the tip of our children's tongue. Now maybe it should be; maybe it shouldn't. I do know this, though: I have one responsibility before I pass on, and that's to ensure my kids get off to the best start possible, so when it's their turn, they can get their kids off to the best start possible. So, I'd be remiss not to consider the whole subject of my kids and trading. I may choose the nay route, but I won't choose to ignore the topic. ...