What's the perfect gift for the first born of the Princess of Pop? Gucci baby booties? A bling-encrusted binky? An Escalade stroller with spinner rims?
Britney Spears' new baby boy isn't likely to be wanting for much. (For those who forgot to TiVo Access Hollywood, the tyke was delivered via caesarean section on Sept. 14 at UCLA Medical Center.) Yes, Preston Michael Spears Federline already has a nursery outfitted with $130,000 in spit-up rags and Diaper Genies and $10,000 in blue baby ensembles.
So forget the gift basket. How about a hand-picked portfolio filled with Mommy's favorite things? Below are six starter stocks for bouncing baby Britney.
"Baby One More Time" made Mommy a multimillionaire at age 16. Sixty million albums later, she's worth an estimated $156 million. How about a framed Sony BMG (a joint venture between Sony (NYSE:SNE) and Bertelsmann, and owner of Britney's label, Jive Records) stock certificate to hang on the wall next to the gold albums? It never hurts to diversify the precious metals holdings. And should Britney decide to become a stay-at-home mom, consider getting the tyke some shares in former rebel/now-legit Napster (NASDAQ:NAPS).
Britney's Moroccan-themed baby shower was decidedly upscale, but her registry was as down to earth as a bag of Cheetos and a can of Pepsi (NYSE:PEP). (Who can forget those Super Bowl commercials Britney did for the soft-drink titan?) Yes, Mrs. Federline eschewed upscale baby boutiques in favor of Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT), where her wish list included a breast pump, a potty-training Elmo doll, and cotton Onesies.
Disney (NYSE:DIS) gave Ma her big break at age 11, when she joined Uncle Justin (Timberlake) and Auntie Christina (Aguilera) on The Mickey Mouse Club. And if things go well with Disney's newest theme park launch in Hong Kong, it won't be long before all of China starts sporting mouse ears just like Britney used to.
Baby Spears' pre-birth family movies will be in high-def, thanks to the reality show the 'rents did for Viacom (NYSE:VIA) subsidiary UPN -- Britney and Kevin: Chaotic. The show may have been cancelled, but Viacom's stock is in the midst of having twins -- splitting the company into two units. That birth won't take place until early 2006, so get ready for your close-up, Preston.
It may seem like a company for Grandma Spears' portfolio, but Elizabeth Arden (NASDAQ:RDEN) was actually behind the launch of Britney Spears' Curious last year, which just happened to be the No. 1 fragrance launch of the year. More than 30,000 fans were sent text messages and voice mails recorded by the songstress when the scent went public, generating $36 million in sales for the company. Now Mom's second perfume -- Fantasy -- is on shelves. Can Britney-scented baby powder be far behind?
Make your kid a millionaire
Stretch marks and spit-up tales aren't the only things regular moms have in common with Britney. Even non-celeb kids have a shot at riches beyond their wildest dreams.
Invested wisely, those $10 birthday checks can turn into a pile of money over the years, even if your child is about 760 months away from retirement. Even late starters -- your 18-year-old, for example -- have plenty of time to amass a fortune. If she saves just $500 a year and finds a few great investments that bring her an annual average return of about 20%, she'll be a millionaire by age 50. And that's on just $500 a year.
There's probably some overlap of the big brands in Britney's baby's world and your own. (Every rugrat's first solid food is Cheerios, which are made by General Mills, right?) But if you want your children to be engaged in growing their allowance, focus on their favorite things. Is your daughter obsessed with the Nintendogs puppy-simulator game, made by Nintendo? Does Junior beg you to stop for McDonald's fries after every soccer practice? Follow the link for some other ideas for first stocks for kids.
Set up an account for your kid (here's how) and start stock shopping. Who knows -- you might run into Britney and Preston at the mall.
More bedtime reading for Britney and baby:
- Make Your Child a Millionaire
- My Kid's First Fund
- I Eat My Children's Scraps
- How Millionaires Are Born
- 10 Lessons to Teach Kids About Money
- Don't Be Your Kids' ATM
- Hannah Gets a Visa Card
- Teens Say the Darnedest Things
Dayana Yochim has graciously volunteered to watch Bit Bit, Britney's pocket-sized pooch, while Mom, Dad, and new baby get settled. She owns none of the stocks mentioned in this article, nor has she ever been to Disneyland. Like a good babysitter, The Motley Fool's disclosure policy is always looming.
