About Bank of Dad

Why this exists

My kids kept money in a jar. The jar taught them counting and nothing else. When I tried running a "bank of dad" on paper instead — holding their money and paying interest on it — it worked immediately and then collapsed within two months, because I kept forgetting to pay the interest. The week I forgot was the week they stopped believing in it.

So I built the thing I actually needed: one account per child, an interest rate I set, interest applied automatically on schedule, and a transaction history with notes so we could both see where the money went. That is still the whole product.

Who writes here

Bryan Vieregge — I'm a software engineer and a dad. I write the guides on this site from running this system with my own kids, not from a finance background.

That distinction matters, so I'll be direct about it: I am not a financial advisor, and nothing on this site is financial advice. What you'll find here is practical parenting material about allowance, chores and saving habits. When a topic needs real expertise — custodial accounts, taxes, college savings plans — I'll say so and point you elsewhere rather than guess.

How Bank of Dad works

It is a ledger, not a financial institution. No money moves. There is no card, no bank account, and no transfers — you continue to hold your child's money exactly as you did before. The app records the balance, applies the interest rate you choose, and keeps the history.

That design is deliberate. It means there is nothing to sign up for beyond an email address, no fees, no minimum balance, and no financial regulation involved in your family's arrangement.

What it costs

Nothing. The app is free to use. The site is supported by advertising and may in future include affiliate links to products I have actually used — those will always be labelled as such.

Contact

Questions, bug reports, or a guide you'd like written: bryan.vieregge@gmail.com. I read everything.