Podcast | Cash, Childhood, and the Real Value of Money: Why Physical Cash Is Essential for Financial Skills

This episode unpacks a question that rarely makes headlines but shapes every life: how do we learn what money really means?

Drawing on new research from Koenig & Bauer Banknote Solutions, we explore the overlooked educational power of cash — from children's first pocket-money decisions to adults navigating today’s complex financial landscape.

We follow the journey of financial literacy across childhood, schooling, and early adulthood, showing how the physical act of saving, counting, and spending cash lays the foundations for budgeting, self-control, and long-term financial well-being. We examine why digital payments, while convenient, can weaken value perception and widen competency gaps, especially among vulnerable or newly banked populations.

The conversation highlights who is most impacted, how cash strengthens resilience and inclusion, and why global institutions — from central banks to NGOs — are returning to physical money as part of financial-education strategies.

Takeaway: Cash isn’t nostalgia. It’s the simplest, most universal learning tool we have for building confident, independent financial decision-makers.

Source: From Early Childhood to Adulthood – Cash Educates & Empowers

Note: This podcast was developed using Google’s NotebookLM platform