CRI听力: How Parents Handle Red Envelopes

During the Spring Festival most children receive piles of red envelops containing money. The amounts are even as high as 10 thousand or 20 thousand yuan. Parents are advised to deal with the money in a proper way.

Two-year-old Zhang Xinyu has received more than 30 red envelops containing lucky money during the Spring Festival. They contain a total of about 14,000 yuan, or about 2,500 U.S. dollars.

Since she was born in 2008, the money Xinyu has received has never been less than 10,000 yuan.

Because it's not a small amount of money, her mother has made notes about who has given her daughter red envelops and the amount of money inside them.

One envelope from Xinyu's grandmother contains 2,000 yuan.

"Both her parents are in big family. That's why she has gotten so many red envelops."

14,000 yuan is much more than Xinyu's parents' total monthly salary.

Students at a primary school in Beijing say they all have received red envelops during the Spring Festival. Some of them have gotten several thousands of yuan, and others, more than 10,000 or 20,000 yuan.

"I got 20,000 yuan in a red envelop. I did not count the money. My mom told me the total amount."

The amount of "lucky money" in red envelopes has been increasing compared with past years.
But as for the question about how the lucky money should be spent, children and their parents have different ideas.

Some of the students say they will put the money in a safe place, while others say their parents will manage the money later on.

Two parents have this to say.

"I have not dealt with the money so far, but I am about to save it in a separate account for my child."

"If the child knows how to spend the money in a proper way, I will leave him some money; but if he doesn't, I will save it in a bank."

Saving the money in a bank is the simplest way to deal with it. But some financial planners also suggest parents prepare for their children's future educational expenses by investing the money in funds, especially if they intend for their child to study abroad in the future. (www.hXen.com)

Financial planners also suggest that parents buy insurance for their children with the lucky money. Yang Ting is a financial planner from China Construction Bank.

"For some yearly renewable term insurance, you just need to pay once a year. So the lucky money is perfect for such a premium payment. In addition, parents can decide which kind of insurance is suitable."

For China Drive, I am Zhang Wan.