TEENS: A 2009 survey by TD Ameritrade found that teens are putting money away for college, and it's their top savings goal.

The results of the survey showed that 62% of teens ages 14 through 19 have saved some money for their future higher education needs. That's a much higher rate than the 40% of adults who said they saved for college when they were teens.

The present economic climate has affected the way teens acquire money. Fewer than half of today's teens said they get their savings money from part-time jobs, but 77% said they have saved part or all of financial gifts from their parents on certain occasions such as birthdays, graduations and holidays.

The results of the survey were no surprise to educators! Working with teens my entire life has taught me to never underestimate their intelligence, their adaptability and their strong desire to succeed. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a lot of new thinking by all human beings around the world, and America's teens have used the time and environment they've been dealing with this past year to plan ahead for their futures.

I cheer this development and look forward to seeing what other excellent steps they will take next, since they always adapt and improve upon the generations that have come before them.

EX SPREADING FALSE RUMORS

DR. WALLACE: I'm Mormon, and our religion forbids us to do drugs or drink alcohol. I've been dating a girl recently, and I really like her. She is not a Mormon girl, but her parents are very strict and involved in her life, almost like a Mormon family would be.

For some reason, my ex-girlfriend is now trying to break up my current relationship. She has called my girlfriend's parents and told them lies about me and my current girlfriend. These lies are designed to make us both look bad, immoral and irresponsible.

How can I get my ex-girlfriend to stay out of my life, my business and my relationship? I'm beyond fed up with her nonsense. At first, I found some of her milder lies amusing. But now, since she received no reaction to the first set of lies, her new lies are brutal, and of course, completely baseless. — Not Amused, via email

NOT AMUSED: I'm sure your parents know that you are not involved in drugs or sex with your present girlfriend.

If you feel the need to have your parents call your ex-girlfriend's parents and have that conversation, that's fine. It may be just what's needed to put an end to this madness. Be sure to have all of the details about who said what to whom very well organized so that you don't provide her space to wiggle out of what she has done. I agree that this has gone on long enough. Don't give your ex the power to ruin your present relationship.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at rwallace@thegreatestgift.com. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

Photo credit: Pexels at Pixabay