The Christmas Gift That Keeps OnPaying

WASHINGTON - (12/27/04) -- All over America kids are learningcash skills the real way this holiday season--with their own ATMs.Toy stores across the country are reporting one of the most populargifts this Christmas was the Youinverse ATM, a high-tech piggy bankthat not only accepts and dispenses real cash--with an authenticATM card and PIN--but counts coins as well. Summit FinancialProducts, which makes the mini-cash machines, said it expects tosell as many as two million of the toy ATMs this holiday season.Consumer advocates are touting the $24.95 toy as a good tool toteach kids, who see their parents dip into the ATM on a weeklybasis, about cash management and saving.