Your property belongs to you
The idea: children should be able to own money, earn income, and control their own bank account at any age.
This is a proposal for change, not a description of today’s banking or work laws.
What would belong to you?
Your earnings would belong entirely to you. Gifts, savings, and royalties—money paid for use of work you created—could go straight into an account owned only by you.
Being your parent, guardian, or adviser would not give someone a share of your earnings or control of your account.
How would the account work?
- You would decide when to pay someone or take money out.
- You would not need parental permission, a shared account with an adult, or an adult appointed to manage the money.
- You could ask for clear explanations or an easier-to-use banking tool. Giving help would not give someone permission to inspect, take, block, or move your money.
- You could choose to give someone access and take that permission back, under the same principle as an adult account holder.
- Banks would protect your account from access you did not allow. You could make a complaint yourself.
If someone owes you wages but never pays them, protecting your bank account is not enough. There would also need to be a separate way to claim the unpaid money.
An example
You are paid for a drawing. Under this proposal, the payment would go into your own account. An adult who explains how saving works would not automatically get permission to take the money or look through your account.
Earning must be your choice
The right to earn would not allow forced or dangerous work. Paying a child would not give anyone the right to force that child to take part.
A question still to answer
How could banking work for someone who cannot yet use an account themselves? The solution must address that person’s needs without giving adults automatic control over children’s accounts in general.