Money matters

Darin Hayes hopes you're laughing - all the way to the bank.

The Press recently shared with readers highlights of Hayes' new book, "Beer Money: A Beer Drinker's Guide to Personal Finance and Investing." The witty Hayes, whose first job after graduating from the University of Idaho was working for an advertising agency, has cleverly combined a couple cases of beer analogies to personal finances and come up with a remarkably easy-to-understand investment manual for the average mortal.

What's really funny is how serious this is.

Having worked for D.A. Davidson the past eight years and now an associate vice president with the firm, the 42-year-old Hayes and his mentor, Brad Dugdale, have long embarked on a quest to raise financial literacy locally. Wisely, they started with students, because the earlier you get started with investing, the better off you'll be later on.

We confess to feeling anxiety about the future. Already, our children and grandchildren need more education and more training just to begin to compete for jobs in an increasingly global environment. As technology allegedly makes life easier and better, it also takes a bigger bite out of the workforce, making the fiercely competitive landscape that much meaner.

When you consider that for generations of aging citizens, two financial mainstays - Social Security and Medicare - are likely to undergo painful change, our kids and grandkids may face even greater economic challenges down the road. You think you've had it tough? Our children and children's children might redefine that word.

That's why work like Hayes' and Dugdale's is so important. The goal isn't so much to create the next generation of rich Americans, but to help teach all citizens how to stand on their own.

Money isn't the answer to everything, but without enough of it people become dependent on others. True independence is a critical step on the road to a good life, and to a fiscally healthy America.