Teen Banking / Youth Banking

Teens can learn to manage money responsibly by practicing with real money in a safe, guided way. That means learning how to spend, save, track balances, avoid impulse purchases, and understand where their money goes.

A good place to start is with a simple plan for every dollar that comes in. Teens can set aside money for everyday spending, short-term goals, and longer-term savings. Even small habits, like checking their balance before making plans, saving part of each paycheck, or reviewing recent purchases, can make a big difference over time.

A teen checking account can also help build real-life money habits. With debit card access, digital banking, spending alerts, and adult-friendly controls, teens can practice managing money while parents or guardians stay connected. Savings accounts and youth certificates can also help young members learn how to set money aside and watch it grow.

At Embers Credit Union, our youth and teen account options are built to help young members start learning money skills early, with tools for spending, saving, and building confidence before adulthood.

Opening a teen checking account helps teens build real-life money skills in a safe, guided way. With the right tools and support, teens can start learning how to spend, save, and manage money before adulthood.

Key benefits include:

Hands-on money management
Teens can practice checking balances, tracking spending, using digital banking, and understanding how money moves in and out of an account.

Debit card access
A teen debit card gives young members a safer, more convenient way to pay in stores, access cash, and manage everyday spending without carrying a lot of cash.

More independence with guardrails
Teen Checking gives teens room to manage money on their own, while adults can stay connected through account visibility, spending alerts, and spending limits.

Built-in spending protection
Standard merchant blocks help keep spending age-appropriate by blocking certain merchant categories, including cash advances, lotteries, mail order/direct selling, and package beer and liquor stores.

No monthly fee
Embers Teen Checking has no monthly fee, making it a simple first checking account for young members ages 13–17.

Real-life financial confidence
Using a checking account responsibly can help teens build better habits early, from saving part of a paycheck to checking their balance before they spend.

Parents or guardians can open a Teen Checking account for ages 13–17 at Embers Credit Union fully online. The process is simple and can be completed from home, without needing to visit a branch.

To open the account, you’ll need a few basic details for both you and your teen, including:

For the parent or guardian:
Your Social Security number and date of birth.

For the teen:
Their Social Security number and date of birth.

Once the account is open, your teen can start using real-life banking tools like debit card access and digital banking, while you stay connected with account visibility, spending alerts, limits, and built-in merchant blocks for added peace of mind.

You can open a Teen Checking account at Embers Credit Union fully online, so you don’t have to visit a branch to get started. Parents or guardians can open an account for teens ages 13–17 using a few basic details, including their Social Security number and date of birth, plus the teen’s Social Security number and date of birth.

Embers also has local branch support across Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, including Marquette, Escanaba, Munising, Negaunee, Gwinn, and Wells, if you’d rather talk with someone in person.

Once the account is open, teens can start using debit card access and digital banking, while adults can stay connected with visibility, spending alerts, limits, and built-in merchant blocks.

Embers Teen Checking is built for teens ages 13–17. It gives young members a real checking account with debit card access, digital banking, and tools that help them start learning how to manage money in everyday life.

Parents or guardians can open a Teen Checking account fully online with basic information for both themselves and their teen, including Social Security numbers and dates of birth.

For teens ages 13–16, a parent or guardian is needed to open a Teen Checking account at Embers Credit Union. This gives teens access to real-life money tools while adults can stay connected with account visibility, spending alerts, limits, and built-in merchant blocks.

Teens who are 17 may be able to open their own Teen Checking account without a parent or guardian. However, accounts opened by a teen on their own may have fewer account controls and fewer account features than an account opened with a parent or guardian.

Either way, Teen Checking is built to help young members practice managing money with debit card access, digital banking, and tools that support smart everyday spending.