Here are 3 money tips every high school student should know

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — As Tennessee leads many states in financial literacy in public high schools, Junior Achievement of Middle Tennessee aims to boost those lessons through career, entrepreneurship and personal finance programs.

Speaking to high school students in December at Junior Achievement’s Finance Park program in Nashville, CNBC’s senior personal finance correspondent Sharon Epperson shared her career journey and offered personal finance tips.

“You’re going to be something that you want to be — whatever that is — because you will have the tools to do it,” she said.

Here are three personal finance tips Epperson shared with the high school students.

With a part-time job, “you’re already set up to be an investor,” Epperson told the students. “Not just a saver, but an investor.”

Here’s why: With so-called earned income, students can contribute to a Roth individual retirement account, which provides tax-free growth on investments. You contribute after-tax money but won’t owe taxes on Roth IRA withdrawals in retirement. Tax-free earnings are powerful for younger investors with decades until their golden years.

Epperson also warned students about the “risk of plastic” and amassing credit card debt, which can be difficult to pay back.

To avoid problems, she suggested, use a prepaid card for purchases and join a parent or guardian’s credit card as an authorized user before applying for a student credit card at age 18.

After speaking, Epperson participated as a volunteer in Finance Park, Junior Achievement’s capstone financial literacy program, which gives students the chance to “make adult decisions before they’re adults,” according to Trent Klingensmith, president of Junior Achievement of Middle Tennessee,…