NatWest said that today's teens expect to earn less when they are a adults - and are taking tighter control of their own finances.
Britain's youngsters promise to be more savvy about debt than their parents, a report has indicated.
NatWest's latest MoneySense Panel shows that almost nine in ten (86 percent) of 12 to 19-year-olds are keeping track of their money. This compares favourably to last year, when just 79 percent said the same.
In the intervening months, financial conditions in the UK have greatly worsened, putting more attention onto money matters than before. Stock markets have plunged and interest rates have been slashed due to the credit crunch - which promises to turn into the worst recession in decades.
Accordingly, 68 percent of the youngsters polled by NatWest said that they know more about taking care of their personal finances than they did last year. There was also evidence that the credit crunch was making teens thriftier - when asked how much money per month would make them "happy", the typical response from the group was £372, down from £496 in 2008.
However, this fantasy still far outstrips the reality, as average monthly pocket money is well under £150. Moreover, typical salary expectations of today's teens by age 35 (£53,000) are more than double the national average wage for 30 to 39-year-olds.
Commenting on the latest report, psychological expert Dr Sandra Scott said: "Young people can be remarkably influenced by changes in their parents' attitudes towards money. We may see that this change in outlook during the economic downturn could result in more savvy, informed young people with a greater understanding of how they can best shape their financial futures."
The MoneySense Panel is scheduled to run for five years. The latest report represents the second year of its findings.
