Comedian James Cunningham takes to high schools, spreading his Funny Money approach to personal finance.  Cunningham’s Funny Money show aims to boost teens’ financial prowess before they’re out on their own.  Typical of Mr. Cunningham’s style in Funny Money is using a combination of stand-up techniques along with audience participation and interaction to keep his young audience both laughing and involved.  And despite using humour to get his points across, the subject of financial education for young Canadians is something Mr. Cunningham takes very seriously.  While James Cunningham’s Funny Money high school program aims to drive home a few basic tenants of personal financial management for teens – it’s advice that would serve anyone well regardless of age. The Globe and Mail

For a tough teen audience, a humorous approach to financial literacy fits the bill.  Funny Money banks laughs.  Canadian comic James Cunningham brought his teen financial literacy lecture to some of Ottawa’s most fertile minds this week.  The message: Money management can be a laughing matter.  His “Funny Money” lecture aims to teach teens about the importance of money management before they become too entwined in debt.  The Funny Money lecture deals with flow of money, managing debt and investing.  Mr. Cunningham was doing 40 to 60 colleges and universities a year before bringing the program to high school students.  Teacher Noreen Widder saw Mr. Cunningham in 2007 when he was the keynote speaker at the Ontario Business Educators’ Association conference.  She said she knew she had to get him for her school. Ottawa Citizen

James Cunningham is a stand-up comic.  He uses his entertainment skills to teach high school students in a session called Funny Money.  “You have no idea how much your lives actually cost,” he told several hundred students yesterday at Marshall McLuhan Catholic Secondary School.  His humour disarms the students and soon they’re spilling their secrets – such as how little they think they’ll spend once they get to university. Toronto Star

As students entering university are now faced with record debt levels, the temptation to get a little depressed can be overwhelming.  However, one comic has taken on the issue of finances and proved that it can be a laughing matter.  With his financial seminar Funny Money, comedian Jams Cunningham has created something thing achieved before – a financially informative yet extremely funny blend of comedy.  The seminar focuses on three main areas of importance – how to budget money, how to manage debt load, and how to invest money to ensure a better future. Metro News

For the past eight years, Canadian stand-up comedian James Cunningham has been touring high schools and colleges throughout North America teaching 16-22-year olds how to avoid common money mistakes, like abusing credit cards instead of using them responsibly to build up a good credit rating.  Some studies show that children’s money behaviour is established at age 10 but Cunningham believes real financial wisdom remains a foreign concept to most until the later teenage years.  He suggests that parents get their kids on a co-signed credit card (of modest limit) at an early age so they can learn how to use it while they still have a roof over their head.  In part, he attempts to get kids to recognize the difference between good and bad debt. New Zealand Press