How Not to Lose a Million Dollars
Coming April 9, 2026
Preorder is Live!
When I was young, I made my share of money mistakes. (Didn’t we all?) Later, during my 40 year career in finance, I saw how millions of young people made the same kinds of mistakes, and worse.
This comprehensive guide covers every aspect of financial decision-making young people will confront as they transition to adulthood, with easy-to-understand “Helpful Hacks” on how to avoid common money mistakes. It’s this financial insider’s contribution to Main Street teens to help protect their financial futures.
Award Winning Author
Sheila Bair
Over 23,000 Money Tales books donated to low-income schools!
Welcome to the Money Tales Universe
You may remember me from my days as Chair of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation when Time Magazine called me "the little guy's protector in chief". I now try to protect "little guys" (and gals) in a different way. I write fun, magical stories that help children learn the basics of managing money, so they can avoid common financial tricks and traps later in life.
The villains in the Money Tales Universe are not witches or ogres, but scam artists and usurious lenders. The stories always end happily, with a simple moral like "Don't borrow to buy dumb stuff" and “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is”. So please explore this site and if you like what you see, snuggle up and read a Money Tales with your little one. Parents tell me they learn by reading my books too!
About Sheila Bair
Sheila Bair has had a long and distinguished career in finance, academia, and government. She is also the proud mother of two children, Preston and Colleen. She is perhaps best known as the Chair of the FDIC during the 2008-2009 financial crisis, when she was twice named by Forbes Magazine as the second most powerful woman in the world. A lifelong advocate for strong financial regulation and consumer protections, she is the author of the New York Times bestseller Bull by the Horns, her memoir of the financial crisis, and is a frequent op-ed contributor and TV commentator, as well as author of several children's books on financial matters.
