The not-so-great financial lessons we learned as kids.

Monopoly has taught us that financial institutions are invincible. The game's banker cannot go bankrupt, according to the rules: "The Bank never ‘goes broke.' If the Bank runs out of money, the Banker may issue as much as needed by writing on any ordinary paper."

In The Game of Life, anyone can buy a mansion! The size/price of your home isn't determined by how wealthy you are, the rules say: "Draw 1 House Deed at random from the deck. Pay the bank the price on the deed (not the insurance amount; that's a separate transaction). If you're short on cash, you must borrow from the bank."

In Acquire, the instructions say, "You make money by forming corporations, buying the right stock at the right time, as well as merging and expanding corporations in which you own stock." That sounds about right. But then again, is it smart to turn stock  market investing into a kids' game?

PayDay teaches kids how to get wealthy. We're not so sure that this particular rule still applies: “As any financial advisor will tell you, the way to get ahead financially is to make Deals. It's the American way! So take advantage whenever you can. The time will probably come when you don't have enough money on hand to buy a Deal—or to pay your bills, pay a neighbor or make a charitable donation you are instructed to make. So, do what any red-blooded American would do: Take out a LOAN!”

Although the game is about war, it contains a lesson for the corporate world: Those who try to master the universe may end up in trouble. The rules say, “If you decide to take over the world in one turn, and fail, you will usually be so scattered that it would be easy for the next player to eliminate you.”