I was about 7 or 10 when I had an "ah ha" moment. My dad drove me to the bank to withdraw $6 (forget the exact number) from my savings account for a new baseball glove. Remember it like yesterday.
When I got back to the car I told dad that the bank made a mistake because I withdrew $6 but still had about the same balance.
He looked at my passbook and said: "You got interest. That’s what you withdrew. That’s how your grandfather does it too...that's how rich people do it." He then explained how it all works.
My young mind exploded! Sometimes a small, practical, real world example has more impact that a more abstract one or one based in a far off future. Even in my twenties, a 401k was of little interest to me.
My grandfather could (somehow) do compound interest in his head. He'd play the " if I give you a penny and double that amount each day for a month" game with me.
I think too, that the occasional discussion about the Dow, interest rates and such around the dinner table helps young ones integrate finance as part of their lives rather than something "added on and separate" from it.
