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Is it true that many young professionals don't know how to save money?
I recently had dinner with an old college friend. I was expecting to catch up on friends, family and our careers, but it was clear he wanted some basic financial information.
Knowing I advise young professionals on their finances, he zeroed in on the following questions: "How much should I save, and how do I know if my savings plan is on track?"
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Many highly talented and bright young individuals - often earning six figures, receiving an annual bonus and holding stock options - often struggle with how to spend and save their money. My advice is to develop a process that focuses on three fundamental ideas that anyone can use.
Control Savings and Spending by Paying Yourself First
Putting together a budget and tracking spending are useful tools - but they can be tedious and hard to sustain. Instead of starting with expenses, I begin by allocating the desired amounts of money to various savings and investment accounts.
I set up automated contributions to my 401(k) retirement account, Roth Individual Retirement Account (IRA) and after-tax brokerage accounts. Once that money is set aside, I have total peace of mind knowing I can afford to spend what's left and still be on track to hit my financial goals.
If, like me, you make the majority of day-to-day purchases on your credit card, another easy way to spot-check spending is making sure you can pay your credit card bill in full each month without tapping your savings.
Don't get me wrong - developing a detailed budget is a valuable exercise when done periodically. And it's parti
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