Newton, stocks and our kids

In the early 18th century, Sir Isaac Newton, one of the greatest scientific minds in history, lost a great fortune in a stock market overheating called the “South Sea Bubble.” His lament, “I can calculate the motions of heavenly bodies, but not the madness of people,” has echoed through centuries of financial history.

Today, as stock markets dominate headlines and social conversations, Newton’s warning feels more relevant than ever.

Yet unlike his era, the current wave of enthusiasm for stocks is not confined to seasoned investors or speculative traders.

It is reaching into the realm of family life and, more strikingly, into the education of our children.

For generations, parents taught their children the virtue of saving.

A piggy bank and a passbook account symbolized financial responsibility.

Savings were tied to the dignity of labor.

But the landscape has changed.

In a world of relatively low interest rates, inflationary pressures and rapid technological disruption, traditional savings accounts no longer carry the same promise.

Instead, stocks, securities, ETFs and even fra ...