Many of you are coming out of college and diving into “the real world”.  I was anxious to see just how real this “real world” was when everyone older than me talked about it like some kind of far off never-never land.  Anyway, it’s real and it’s rough.  Getting your first real, well-paying job is a huge adjustment.  I sat through 4 hours of a benefits meeting, and I was LOST.  Once they start talking about 401k contributions, health/life insurance, and short-term disability, your head will be spinning.

I strongly encourage you to read this article from Morning Star that gives young people tips for things to do when starting your first career path.  I agree with most everything in this article, except the part about keeping one credit card to build your credit.  Remember, you do not need a 20% interest rate credit card to build credit.  IT IS A MYTH!!  Anyway, read the article and soak in the part about compound interest and why saving now for the future is critical.