Meet this 16-year-old South Jersey financial advisor [Q&A]

Max Levin says he’s the youngest person to ever write for The Street, the investment news website cofounded by Jim Cramer. The 16-year-old Voorhees, N.J. high school junior has his own finance website, too: StockPick101.com

“My whole life I have been an entrepreneur,” Levin said.

He also founded The Financial Literacy Foundation, which he uses to teach young people about the stock market, investing and the basics of finance. He also knows a thing about hustle, spreading the word about his work as a one-man PR department.

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Read on to see our Q&A with Levin. Edited for length and clarity.

What is the main goal of your website?

StockPick101.com is an online forum for the younger generation and the new investor, acting as a resource as my grandfather was to me. I launched StockPick101 in 2012, when I was a freshman in high school, and within two months, was recognized by Jim Cramer and TheStreet.com.

What has working under Jim Cramer taught you?

During the summer of 2013, going into my junior year of high school, I interned at TheStreet on Wall Street. I was exposed to an amazing vibe and a diverse group, also having an great time writing under the name “StockPick Whiz Kid.” Working in collaboration with Jim Cramer has been amazing and I have learned a wealth of knowledge about finance and the stock market.

Why did you start The Financial Literacy Foundation?

I started The Financial Literacy Foundation to promote and teach financial literacy in schools across the country. When I was named the “StockPick Whiz Kid,” school districts would invite me to come and talk to their students about the stock market, entrepreneurship, investing and my story. When speaking at these schools, I didn’t only receive questions on the stock market, but the basics of finance. This made me look into schools curriculum to see why students weren’t aware of financial basics.

What do you think school curriculum lacks when it comes to teaching students about financial literacy?

Schools lack teaching the very basics of finance and allowing their students to apply it to daily life. Due to lack of resources and funding, schools put their efforts toward mainstream classes, leaving out the 101 on how to manage your money. Financial literacy is very important because of how it relates to all occupations, and is imperative to building a strong future economy.

How did you become interested in finance?

At a really young age I had car washes, bulk vending machine businesses, honor boxes — anything to make a buck. I was taught the stock market by my grandfather, and it just came naturally to me. In 8th grade, I really started trading the market bearishly.

Where do you see yourself and your program in five years?

I definitely want to continue my initiatives through college and even further. I think that my foundation is fighting for a great cause.