financial reflections

Normally I don’t write articles like this, but I found a neat way to introduce my kids to investing, or at least find a great gift for my investor friends and family, so I thought I’d share the find with everyone.

It seems that we buy too many things that drop in value almost immediately these days, so the idea of giving stock (which hopefully will go up eventually) sounds like a good idea.  But it’s also hard to package something like that.  Not to mention that I’m not exactly in a position to go online and get 100 shares for something for someone (although I’m sure they wouldn’t mind).

I also want my kids to learn:

• What it means to own a share of a company.
• What it means to invest.
• That saving and investing can be slightly more entertaining than a savings bond.

My boy is into baseball cards, but those apparently are almost worthless now.  I wanted something with some value in it, but something in addition to a monthly bank statement.

Then I found a place where I could buy a single share of a company like Disney and have a colorful certificate framed for the kids to see.  OneShare.com sells single stocks and sends a framed certificate as a reminder.  I think they look pretty cool.  They also have about 100 different companies they work with, there’s a selection for everyone.  This could make a great gift for the adults I know.

They cost more than a share of the stock would run you on an online trading site, but you also get more for your money.  And seeing how much I’ve spent on things that don’t last, I think this is worth a try.  Besides, if you go to OneShare.com through 7/31/06 and use FREESHIP when you checkout, your shipping is free.

Any other experiences with this kind of place?  I’d love to hear about it.  Just comment below…