I READ Mr Tan Shao Ken's letter on Tuesday, "Old enough, Mister", and his view worries me.

I have two children aged 19 and 21. I advise youngsters to go slow when trading in stocks as the risk is much higher than betting with Singapore Pools. Most teenagers at this age are usually studying or in national service. They do not have a stable income. I'm not encouraging them to gamble, but they can bet with Singapore Pools if they want to, according to their financial ability.

Trading in stocks requires bigger amounts of money, involving thousands of dollars. The meagre sum they earn from their part-time jobs is definitely insufficient for them to trade or invest. Furthermore, trading in stocks is more complex. It requires knowledge such as the nature of the business, as well as the cash flow and financial status of companies.

Tan Choon Teck (Mdm)

This article was first published in The Straits Times.