Financial Advice for Younger Adults
RMLEFCU employees were informally surveyed and asked, “If you could go back in time and talk to yourself at 21, what kind of financial advice would you give?”
In no particular order, here are 6 top responses:
- If your employer has a retirement plan, you had better contribute. If they don’t, open an IRA. Unless you are planning on checking out early or not having any children or loved ones you leave behind, you will want to start saving as soon as you move your belongings out of your college dorm.
- Cash or Debit Cards Only. Speaking of college, chances are you don’t have the income to offset any high interest credit card debt you may have been enticed to rack up. I know it’s tempting, but if you can’t get by on a debit card or cash, you probably don’t need it. P.S. That’s great that they were giving out those mini footballs/Frisbees/t-shirts and you needed/wanted/had to have one, but cut that credit card up now if you can’t afford it.
- If you already have a credit card, remember this advice, “Do not put anything on your credit card that you can’t pay off the next month.” Look at it only as a way to afford something that you’ll have the money for in 28 days. Maybe the movie “28 Days Later” will help drive this point home since having credit card debt will be worse than a zombie chasing you. Zombies can be outrun, creditors will never stop coming after you.