Early Career/Recent Graduates

It is a very exciting time to begin your life as a professional. Whatever path you have chosen for yourself, you’re entering a world with opportunities for personal and financial success. When you are early in your professional career, you gain a significant advantage by planning for your future while your responsibilities and costs are minimal.

Whether you are discovering personal finances for the first time or you are already well on your way, having a guide and a partner on your financial journey who is supportive and experienced can make a huge difference in your short-term and long-term outlooks. We help our members with personalized financial advice for whatever their outlook is, and the first step is for us to schedule a meeting together!

Here are some things to consider as you embark on your new career:

1.  Create a Budget.
   
   
2.  Determine your living situation: rent or own?
   
   
3.  Start Saving.  Start small and build to at least 20% savings rate.
   
   
4.  Create an emergency fund: 6-12 mos. of living expenses.
   
   
5.  Protect yourself and your assets – insurance!
   
   
6.  Understand your student loans, how much you owe and if there any grace periods.
   
   
7.  Assess your other debts: pay down those with higher interest rates first.
   
   
8.  Manage your credit score: pull your report annually.
   
   
9.  Understand your employer benefits.