Talking to your kids about money can pay off in the future—it worked for me

Roth IRA, high-yield savings account and mutual funds were just a few of the phrases regularly thrown around my family's dinner table when I was growing up.

I didn't realize it then, but having a parent who worked as a financial advisor for several years meant that I was gaining invaluable financial knowledge. Those conversations, which not all of my friends and peers got to experience with their own families, helped boost my confidence with money and set me>How financial exposure impacts kids

It's no surprise that kids absorb habits from their parents. Behaviors around money are no exception — whether your parents talked to you about money or not.

Kids primarily learn about money from modeling their parents' behavior, Brad Klontz, a clinical psychologist and certified financial planner, tells CNBC Make It.

Klontz calls these moments "financial flashpoint experiences" — events that happen in childhood involving money that kids may or may not fully understand, depending>How you can help your kids 

About 83% of U.S. adults believe parents are the most responsible for educating their children>How my dad impacted me

My dad passed away in 2021, but I can still hear his voice echoing in my head: "'Automate your monthly bills. Invest at least 10% of your income into retirement and investment accounts. Don't let your bills exceed 50% of your income.'"

Today, I find myself working at CNBC and pursuing a career in financial journalism. Not only did my dad influence my career, but he shaped my long-term outlook on personal finance.

I have a Roth IRA account, an investment account on Acorns, a high-yield savings account and a CD, or certificate of deposit. Not every 20-something still in college can say they have done the same.

In high school, I came home one day and told my dad that my favorite class was AP Economics, an advanced placement course centered around macro and microeconomics. 

His eyes lit up, and he told me, "I guess all of that money talk rubbed off on you."

He was absolutely right.