According to Capital One Financial Corp., around 1/3 of high school seniors fee unprepared to handle their own personal finances and only 27% of them rely on their parents for financial guidance. As parents, we may need to do a better job teaching our kids the value of saving, especially in today's time of worldwide financial woes. And there is no better time than these summer months to prepare. Make one of your family events a teachable moment and talk to them about what is needed to live a successful financial life. It could be as easy as opening up a savings account and setting aside a portion of their allowances and depositing into their account. Or provide them with new earning opportunities like having them do extra chores around the house, setting up a neighborhood lemonade stand or watch after younger siblings. Then discuss with them how once the account reaches a certain level, they can withdraw a portion of it to purchase something as a reward for reaching a certain savings goal. This is in fact what U.S. Bank is trying to promote through their "What are You Saving For?" contest. So, if your kids are between the ages of 5-12 and would like to possibly earn $100 free, they'll need to pick up an entry form at any U.S. Bank branch and explain to U.S. Bank what they are saving for and what they're planning to do to earn money towards that goal. Forms returned to the branch will be reviewed by U.S. Bank employees and 25 winners will be selected to receive $100 to help them on their way. Be sure to click on the "What Are You Saving For?" savings contest link for details.