While you're teaching your kids about the ABCs and 123s, make sure you throw in some saving and investing tips.

It's never too early to start teaching your children basic money know-how that will give them the foundation to build some financial savvy for the future.

Serge Pepin, vice president, Investment Strategy, BMO Asset Management, says, "The sooner parents start talking to their kids about money, the better prepared they will be when they start saving and investing for the future.

"Even very young children can benefit from learning basic investing skills and the importance of setting financial goals."

Does your life seem like the movie Failure to Launch when your adult child is still living with you at home?

In the 2006 comedy, the reason for the 35-year-old main character's failure to leave home is that he's just too comfortable living with mom and dad where everything is looked after for him.

But today, in reality, it just may be the cost of moving out that's holding junior back.

Now that school is out for college and university students, the race is on to find a job.

Even though employment fell by 55,000 full-time jobs in March, it is up by 203,000 over last year.

But even better news is that almost half of Canadian businesses plan on hiring students or recent graduates this year, according to a new report by BMO Bank of Montreal.

Talking to your kids about the birds and the bees is all a part of them growing up.

But did you know that talking about money is just as important.

According to a new poll by BMO Financial Group, 96 per cent of Canadians believe teaching children about money matters is key to a healthier economy.

While rising tuition costs grab the headlines, the bulk of the cost for sending kids off to university is actually four or five years of food and lodging.

At the University of Toronto, residence fees vary and increase every year; throw in a meal plan and an approximate average is $10,000 per year.

Instead of forking over even more cash to the university or nearby landlords, some enterprising parents prefer to buy a nearby property for their children to live in during their university years.

That's what one Kleinburg couple did the year before their oldest daughter started her second year of studies at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo. 

"Over all, it was a very profitable experience,” they told the Globe and Mail. "We had enough rental income coming in to offset the monthly costs of the house, and at the same time we were building equity."

Eggs...check. Baskets...check. Chocolate...check. Presents...check. Budget...what budget?

Believe it or not, Easter is the second biggest gift-giving holiday occasion for Canadians next to Christmas.

From organizing an Easter egg hunt for your kids to buying gifts, flowers, food, candy, visiting relatives -- it all adds up. And, if you didn't already have it included in your annual household budget you may be stretching it a little bit.

There's much to be said about a good education.

But if you're late getting out of the gate, how do you plan on funding your child's post-secondary education?

Graduating high school students, like my daughter in Grade 12, are just now starting to get their acceptance letters to colleges and universities. And, according to a new report by BMO Wealth Institute, a four-year university degree can cost upwards of $60,000 and yet three-quarters of Canadian parents are not prepared and only half have taken advantage of Registered Education Savings Plans (RESPs).

Elisabeth Donati, author of The Ultimate Allowance, looks at kids these days -- and by kids she actually means anyone under 30 -- and wonders what exactly they're being taught at home and at school.

"Our children aren’t learning how to take care of themselves … emotionally, mentally, physically, spiritually or financially," she maintains.

"They aren’t learning how to think through problems and solve them. And they aren’t learning how to think globally for the most part. Everything is geared toward solving problems individually when in reality, we solve problems best when we work on them together."

Donati decided to compile a list of what she would want kids to learn in her school, if she started one. Here’s a sample what she's come up with so far.

Remember when you were little how you were always taught that it's good to share?

Oh sure, it's always polite to share your toys or cookies.

But as we get older we are now finding out that it may not be such a good thing -- especially when it comes to sharing our personal and financial information on the Internet.

A recent study by Visa Canada revealed that many Canadians are in fact "oversharing" their financial information over their computers and cellphones which could put them at a greater risk for fraud.

It's hard to believe that your driving costs outweight your annual grocery bill.

But according to a new report by the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) -- it's true.

In fact, the study found that the annual ownership costs for a compact vehicle are about $9.500 while the average Canadian spends about $5,400 on their yearly grocery bill. Now that's food for thought.

The study also discovered that four in five Canadians polled underestimate the cost of owning and operating a motor vehicle. And six in 10 underestimated that cost by $4,000 or more.