Children of 10 are 'saving for university'

Children as young as 10 are already saving up for key milestones in their lives such as university, buying their first home or starting a business, a report has found.

The tough economy has produced a generation of financially savvy children, many of whom are more switched on to savings than their parents were at the same age, according to the findings from investment provider Scottish Widows.

With university tuition fees and finding the money for a house deposit still some years away, 11% of children said they had already begun saving towards the cost of college, university or buying a home.

A further 6% said they were saving up for a car – while an entrepreneurial 2% were putting money aside to start their own business.

However, toys, games and gadgets remain children's saving priorities, with 48% of youngsters saving up for this purpose.

Some 98% of 10-year-olds said they had already got into the habit of putting some of their cash away for a rainy day, while just 15% of adults surveyed said they had started saving before the age of 15.

The majority of children who regularly receive pocket money said they got between £5 and £9 a week. Most said they save a portion of this cash, although 10% put all of it away.

The report suggested that the economic downturn has had an impact on children's savings habits. Publicity around the government's efforts to encourage people into a lifelong savings habit may also be having an effect.

Seven out of 10 children surveyed understood what a pension was – although a significant proportion (10%) thought they would be able to retire before the age of 50.

Oxford University professor of economic history Jane Humphries said: "These children started school around the start of Britain's financial crisis, so perhaps growing up in an age of austerity has made them realise that saving for a rainy day is sensible."