Holiday Shopping? Give the Gift of Financial Stability
Stocks and funds, savings accounts, and 529 plans are gifts that keep on giving.

With Black Friday behind us and Christmas fast approaching, many will be gearing up for travel, spending time with loved ones and, of course, checking off those holiday shopping lists. And while you may be dazzled by this year’s "Hottest Tech Gifts" or "Must-Have Toys," consider giving gifts that will keep on giving long after the holidays, especially when it comes to kids and young adults.
When I was 12 years old, my grandfather gave me what I thought was the worst Christmas gift ever—shares of a publicly traded stock. Typically, he would give us a cash gift, so this was new and unexpected. He showed me how to look up the stock in the newspaper and track the price. Along with the gift, he taught me about long-term investing, dividends, and other valuable investing lessons. The stock went up and down with varying economic events, but we never sold. The stock happened to perform well, and when I turned 22, the worst Christmas gift ever became the down payment for my first home.
While there are seemingly endless gift options this holiday season, consider one of the non-traditional presents below to help put your loved ones on the path to success:

Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
SparkGift: A great alternative to cash (or clothes that kids grow out of), SparkGift offers a simple way to gift shares of stock or mutual funds hassle-free. The site lets you buy fractional shares of individual stocks and shares in a variety of exchange-traded funds, and you can spend anywhere from $20 to $2,000. This concept can serve as a great way teach kids about investing or saving. And, if the recipient holds on to it for a long time period, that gift can keep on giving.
Banking Basics: With most schools on break, December could be a great time to teach kids and young adults about money. Whether it’s a traditional piggy bank or a bank account, it’s important to start the savings conversation sooner than later. Helping a child establish their first account – a foundation of financial education – creates an opportunity to teach about savings, fees and interest. Rather than just opening an account at your current bank, ask your kids to help you research finding the right bank. Understanding the basics and developing good habits early on can be very beneficial to their financial future.
Start a 529: Known as a qualified tuition plan, a 529 is a savings plan designed to cover future education costs at qualified colleges across the U.S. It offers great tax benefits and an option to make a one-time contribution or set up continuous payments. Opening or contributing to the plan for the holidays is yet another opportunity to discuss the ins and outs of finances with your loved ones. Also, consider asking relatives to contribute to the plan as part of their gift—with minimum contributions starting as low as $50, family members can partake in setting up kids and young adults for a lifetime of success.
Taylor Schulte, CFP® is founder and CEO of Define Financial, a San Diego-based fee-only firm. He is passionate about helping clients accumulate wealth and plan for retirement.
Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and much more. Delivered daily. Enter your email in the box and click Sign Me Up.

Taylor Schulte, CFP®, is founder and CEO of Define Financial, a fee-only wealth management firm in San Diego. In addition, Schulte hosts The Stay Wealthy Retirement Podcast, teaching people how to reduce taxes, invest smarter, and make work optional. He has been recognized as a top 40 Under 40 adviser by InvestmentNews and one of the top 100 most influential advisers by Investopedia.
-
AI vs the Stock Market: How Did Alphabet, Nike and Industrial Stocks Perform in June?
AI is a new tool to help investors analyze data, but can it beat the stock market? Here's how a chatbot's stock picks fared in June.
-
Stock Market Today: A Historic Quarter Closes on High Notes
"All's well that ends well" is one way to describe the second quarter of 2025, at least from a pure price-action perspective.
-
Eight Tips From a Financial Caddie: How to Keep Your Retirement on the Fairway
Think of your financial adviser as a golf caddie — giving you the advice you need to nail the retirement course, avoiding financial bunkers and bogeys.
-
Just Sold Your Business? Avoid These Five Hasty Moves
If you've exited your business, financial advice is likely to be flooding in from all quarters. But wait until the dust settles before making any big moves.
-
You Were Planning to Retire This Year: Should You Go Ahead?
If the economic climate is making you doubt whether you should retire this year, these three questions will help you make up your mind.
-
Are You Owed Money Thanks to the SSFA? You Might Need to Do Something to Get It
The Social Security Fairness Act removed restrictions on benefits for people with government pensions. If you're one of them, don't leave money on the table. Here's how you can be proactive in claiming what you're due.
-
From Wills to Wishes: An Expert Guide to Your Estate Planning Playbook
Consider supplementing your traditional legal documents with this essential road map to guide your loved ones through the emotional and logistical details that will follow your loss.
-
Your Home + Your IRA = Your Long-Term Care Solution
If you're worried that long-term care costs will drain your retirement savings, consider a personalized retirement plan that could solve your problem.
-
I'm a Financial Planner: Retirees Should Never Do These Four Things in a Recession
Recessions are scary business, especially for retirees. They can scare even the most prepared folks into making bad moves — like these.
-
A Retirement Planner's Advice for Taking the Guesswork Out of Income Planning
Once you've saved for retirement, you'll need your nest egg to support you for as many as 30 years. For that, you need a clear income strategy, not guesswork.