NewsNational

Actions

When the tooth fairy hits hard financial times

Posted at 3:32 PM, Aug 21, 2014
and last updated 2014-08-21 15:32:59-04

All right, kiddos — we've got a little bit of bad news for you. If you were planning to make your fortune in exchange for a few teeth under your pillow, you might have to come up with a different plan.

That's because a new report by Visa shows the tooth fairy is feeling the burn of handing out cash and has cut back some funding. 

Although the hangover from the recession could be partially to blame, the almighty fairy with an odd tooth obsession could also be recovering from her 2013 spending spree.

A so-called tooth inflation took place last year. As this graph from USA Today shows, 2013 was the most generous year from the fairy since Visa began its tracking, although we're not so sure why the company is so nosy about the fairy's spending in the first place.

So that might explain the shortage of funds disappointing tiny toothless Americans. But now what?

Jason Alderman, Visa's Vice President of Global Financial Education, explained, "Less money might be a small disappointment for kids, but it's an ideal opportunity for parents to talk to their children about the importance of saving and budgeting."

Not to mention, $3.40 for a tooth isn't such a bad deal. Visa found kids in Canada only get about $2.60 per tooth.

To find out which parent is more likely to nudge the tooth fairy to drop a few more dimes, watch this Newsy video.