Janice Spooner - Childs are Expensive

High inflation has made the price of just about everything in the U.S. more expensive — including how much it costs to raise a child.  Research published by LendingTree shows that the cost of child care surged nearly 20% between 2016 and 2021, the latest year for which complete data is available. Annual expenses, excluding tax exemptions or credits, hit $21,681 in 2021, versus $18,167 in 2016, the data shows.  That means the typical family is spending about $237,482 over the course of 18 years to raise a child — and that is excluding the cost of college.  Another LendingTree study shows that about 75% of parents think that having and raising children has been far more expensive than they expected. We chat with Janice and sh is an Expert on Lending and Credit and the Market President with Great Plains Bank Southlake