Introduction to Bonds for Kids and Teens
This video explains the concept of bonds in a simple, concise way for kids and beginners. It could be used by kids & teens to learn about investing in bonds, or used as a money & personal finance resource by parents and teachers as part of a Financial Literacy course or K-12 curriculum.
Suitable for students from grade levels:
- Kindergarten
- Elementary School
- Middle School
- High School
The topics covered are:
- What is a Bond
- How is a bond different from a stock
- Why should you invest in a bond
- How much interest does a bond pay
- How long would it take me to get my principal back
- How much does a bond cost
- Can you issue your very own bond
- Where can you buy a bond
- Are there different types of bonds
Howdy Wall Street Willy. I have a really big question for you.
Yes, what is it?
What is a Bond?
Well, a bond is basically a loan you make to a company โ just like a bank makes a loan to you.
Whoaโฆ Thatโs awesome! You mean, I can lend money to someone in a big, huge business, with just a penny?
Not exactly.
Well then, what do you mean? I can lend money to someone?
Yes, you can lend money to somebody by buying a bond.
How is a bond different from a stock?
With a stock, you are owning a part of the company. But with a bond, you have a loan that you make to the company โ but you do not own any of the company.
But then…
Why should you invest in a bond?
Whatโs the point of getting a bond?
The point of getting a bond is that a bond pays interest. The interest can be paid monthly, yearly, or once every three months (quarterly).
And every time, they will pay you a certain amount of interest thatโs a percentage of the principal (or the amount that you gave them as a loan).
Thatโs awesome.
How much interest does a bond pay?
Well, the coupon โ or how much interest the bond pays โ is dependent on what bond it is and how much the issuer (or the person issuing the bond) wants.
So you mean I can just make up an amount if I issue a bond?
Yes, but you would need to start a business so that you can issue a bond.
Is a coupon you get as interest in a bond like a store coupon?
No, a store coupon gives you a discount on something that you buy. But this coupon gives you plain old money!
Awesome โ I like bonds! I have another question for you.
How long would it take me to get my principal, or the money I gave them, back?
Well, that depends on the term of the bond, or how long it is for.
Youโll get the principal, or the amount you gave for the loan or bond, back at the end of the term, which can be decided by the company.
But you can also sell you bond to another person on the bond market.
How much does a bond cost?
Well, there is so much selling and stuff! But how expensive is a bond anyway?
A bond is pretty much as expensive as the person who issues the bond decides. It could be $100, $1,000 or even $10,000!
Whoaโฆ $10,000 is a lot of money!! Well thatโs just plain great!
Yesโฆ And, do you have another question?
Yes, I do. I to another question.
Can I issue my very own bond?
A bond that costs a Billion Dollars, and itโs term, or how long itโs for, is a 100 years?
In fact, you can. If you own a business, you can issue a bond for that business.
Whoaโฆ thatโs awesome! But in real life, have there been any bonds that were a 100 years, or a lot of money?
Well, that is true. There have been such bonds.
In 1993, Disney had issued bonds with a term of 100 years, and they are due in 2093. And thatโs when weโll get the principal amount back.
So a real life business issued 100 year bonds?
Yes, they did!
So, itโs possible?
Yes, it is possible.
I have another big question for you.
Where can I buy a bond?
Can I buy it from a grocery store?
Not really. You cannot but it at a grocery store, because just like stocks, special people called brokers are the only ones who can buy bonds at bond exchanges.
And, you can also buy a bond through a bank.
Well, are there different kinds of bonds?
Yes, there are different kinds of bonds. But thatโs a story for another timeโฆ
And one more thing- remember, finance is your friend!