​The Capital Market Authority (CMA) issued the fifth issue of its specialized magazine for children entitled “The Smart Investor” yesterday as part of its financial awareness programs.

The issue focuses on the usage of technology in financial transactions by using the magnetic card provided by banks which allows customers to withdraw amounts of money from ATM machines or via points of sales machines in an easy and secure way. It also explains the usage of the internet to process financial transactions.

Each issue has its own financial theme and focuses on the basics of developing financial management and saving among children. As for the stories narrated in the issue, they evolve around the characters that go through day-to-day scenarios and learn from their lessons. For example, Salem, who is a boy character in the magazine, learns the features of paying by an ATM card via a point of sale machine when he accompanies his father to the supermarket. He also learns that people can withdraw money from any ATM machine via the Saudi network for banks (SPAN) which saves people time and effort from going to the bank.

As for the boys “Aboud” and “Khaled”, both of them are given top-up cards to charge their mobiles by their parents. One of them uses it wisely by not logging on to the internet and using the landline to make local calls thus saving credit, the other uses the credit unwisely.

CMA started publishing a specialized bi-annual magazine for children in November 2009. The magazine plans to build up the right financial culture among youngsters, between the ages 9 and 14, as potential future investors in the market. It also helps develop proper financial transaction rules and to turn the positive results from financial education to an interactive medium for targeted groups. These efforts would eventually build up a financially conscious generation. The youngsters are also trained to carry out positive dialogue with the community in related fields. CMA publishes “The Smart Investor” as part of its social responsibility programs for financial awareness.  The magazine can be viewed and downloaded freely on CMA’s website www.cma.org.sa or www.smart-investor.net

Furthermore, since its launch three years ago, CMA distributed over 400,000 copies of the magazines to schoolchildren in public and private schools in several areas of the Kingdom. Copies of the magazine have also been distributed freely at CMA’s road shows and booths in malls, exhibitions, fun fairs, local and international children events, book fairs, and exhibition programs for women.

In December 2011 CMA expanded its special financial education program by establishing an interactive website for children under the same title of the magazine “The Smart Investor”. The website comprises several interesting sections such as the "smart painter", games and quizzes. It also includes a section for Smart Investor friends, with pictures and information about hobbies and interests.

The website’s launch was followed by three related platforms on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. These sites will be up to date with "Smart Investor" news and some awareness messages.