Saving money may not be as much fun as spending money, but it's still important to do. When you save your money, you can use it later to buy fun things (DVDs, video games, clothes) as well as pay for serious things like college or a car. FDIC Consumer News, published by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, has produced this guide to help teens get good grades in money management.

Why is the FDIC, a government agency best known for protecting bank accounts, publishing a money guide for teens? It's because consumer education is a big part of what the FDIC does to protect the public.

We know that the more people understand how to save and manage money, the more likely they are to make smart decisions that affect their finances and their future.

Although the FDIC's financial education programs are mostly for adults, this special guide will help you learn how to make good decisions about your money, right from the start.

Teens have access to more money than ever before, thanks to allowances and gifts and, for many, income from chores, summer jobs or part-time jobs. Teens also are becoming more responsible for handling money and making decisions—for everything from small, everyday purchases to bigger-ticket items (such as a bike or a camera) to saving for college.

"This guide wouldn't be necessary if money really did grow on trees or if The Bank of Mom and Dad was open 24 hours a day and offered unlimited withdrawals, but this is the real world," said Paul Horwitz, an FDIC Community Affairs Specialist.

In this guide you'll find tips and information on how to:

• Save and earn money;
• Decide where to keep your money;
• Spend money wisely;
• Borrow money;
• Protect against identity theft;
• Be charitable; and
• Get more help about money matters from government agencies, banks, businesses, professional associations, schools, parents and other sources.

There's also a quiz that you can take to find out how much you know about saving and managing your money.

If you consistently make smart decisions about your money, you can have more of it for what you truly need. We hope one of your first decisions will be to read our guide.