Paying off debt ranks among the most important things a person who wants financial stability should do since being in financial debt affects just about everything from trying to rent an apartment to getting a loan for school. But it’s also important to know which debt to pay off first, how to choose which debt to pay off first and why it is important to pay it off. Read More

After living for a year in the second most expensive city in America, I was ready to look for a new apartment, and I wondered how much I could afford. But to be honest, I had no idea how much I should be paying for rent. Some people say 15% of your income, others say 50% of your income, but I didn’t want to take the risk of taking someone’s random opinion. I wanted real answers.
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There’s nothing worse than finding yourself, a recent college graduate, unable to find a job, stuck with student loans to pay off, and with looming expenses of rent and other bills. Maybe your grades weren’t as good in college, or you picked a low-demand major (like English or Spanish), or perhaps you waited too long to begin your job hunt when everyone around you started months earlier. Whatever the reason, you’re now stuck in a rut, you’re lost, and you don’t know what to do. Read More

I’ve always hated how people would always say you should only work at a job you love, because the chances of me finding a job I love is about as high as winning the lottery. For those of you who love what you do, consider yourselves blessed. Unfortunately, the rest of us need to make sacrifices doing what we don’t necessarily enjoy in order to live our lifestyles, but sometimes we might be sacrificing just a bit too much. Knowing when to say enough is enough is just as important to your career as finding the right job and it can be useful to recognize the signs that your job just isn’t for you.
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Your morals are probably the most important and valuable things you can have. In other words, they are priceless. And yet, we sometimes find ourselves in a position where we consider jeopardizing our moral values in order to get ahead in our careers.

So I ask you this–If you were put in a position where in order to get ahead in your career, you would have to screw over one of your co-workers that you considered a friend, would you do it? Would you be willing to play the villain so you could reap the benefits and keep the treasure for yourself?
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Getting your MBA just seems like one of those things that everyone does eventually in life. It’s just something that is simply expected of a young educated professional. However, times change and although getting a bachelor’s degree is probably just as necessary as getting a high school diploma, there are a those who argue that MBAs may not be the only path to take. Just look at Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and Michael Dell, none of whom went to business school. And yet, more and more professionals are pursuing MBA degrees every year to the point that MBAs are like a commodity. So what’s the deal? Is an MBA necessary to advance your career? Read More

Choosing the right investment tool for retirement can seem like a daunting task especially with all the different options you can pick from and it isn’t uncommon to feel lost. Fortunately we’re here to help, and hopefully after reading this post, you’ll feel just a little bit less lost. As promised, here is a crash course on the different types of investment tools and if each is right for you.

CNN Money published a neat slide show article about the most common retirement tools and all the information that you need to know about 401(k)s, Traditional IRAs and Roth IRAs. Read More

One of the most important things to do that most recent graduates put off or neglect is to plan for retirement. Yet, many twenty-some year olds find themselves wondering whether or not they should pay off their loans first or buy that shiny new car instead of planning for retirement. Some haven’t even begun thinking about retirement. After all, retirement is forty years away, why bother now right?

Wrong.

Personally, I feel that planning your retirement by investing in your 401(k) and Roth IRA has never been more important. With the increasingly non-existent social security, your 401(k) and IRA will probably be the only money sources keeping you alive and happy in your old age.
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Some people equate their personal worth by how much weight they can bench press at the gym or by how much beer they can drink before passing out. Others associate their worth by how skinny and attractive they look or by how “big” certain things are. However, perhaps the universal factor people use to gauge their own value is by how much they get paid.

Annual salaries are probably the most talked about among fresh college graduates when comparing overall success in their careers. Unfortunately, there can be pressure from parents, friends or colleagues to make increasingly more money and it just seems to get worse every year. Read More