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Financial Mistakes to Avoid as a Recent College Grad

 

Mistakes to avoid financially as a recent college grad

Mistakes to avoid financially as a recent college grad

Mistakes are unavoidable, but you should be especially careful when it comes to your finances. As you prepare to graduate college, you also prepare for the “real world.” You’ve spent the last four years obtaining as much knowledge as possible in your field, applying for jobs, and writing your resume. Graduates beware, student loans are the second-highest form of personal debt. And with college debts increasing, it is more important than ever to have a smart financial strategy in place. A solid plan will help you avoid as many mistakes as possible.

By taking a step ahead of your peers in choosing wise investments, you can create healthy habits. This not only improves your personal finances for years to come but also avoid future debt issues.

Financial Mistakes to Avoid after Graduation

Financial mistakes can be easy to make, but there are ways you can avoid them.

Mistake #1: Having no credit.

Everyone talks about saving money, and we are no different. Unfortunately, all this talk about savings has college graduates a little hesitant to take out loans or credit cards. This is due to the fear of creating an overwhelming debt they can’t repay. Plus, not to mention, college already creates heavy financial obligations. Furthermore, it is increasingly harder for those under 21 to sign up for a credit card with no existing income. So, what’s a newbie to do? Build your credit history slowly and regularly by opening accounts and using your own credit cards.  Making consistent payments by or before the due dates establishes a good credit history.

Why this is important: When you want to make big, future purchases, like a house, you will have a hard time being approved for a loan. Lenders may require a co-signer or collateral if you have no credit. When I was still in college, I bought my first car with cash I had saved from my summer job. Not long after graduating, I needed to purchase a new vehicle. This proved to be a challenge due to my lack of credit. Over the years, I have been able to develop a favorable credit score by paying off a credit card and the loan for my vehicle. Had I started to build credit sooner, I wouldn’t have struggled so much to get the car I needed.

Mistake #2: Not having a plan.

Having a limited or non-existent financial plan is one of the biggest mistakes recent college grads make. As a poor college student, you are lucky if you have two pennies to rub together as you battle the choice of groceries or rent. When you land that first job out of school though, it can be easy to fall into poor spending patterns very quickly. To avoid this, cut back on unnecessary expenses like going out to eat.  Spend more time enhancing your cooking skills and spreading out your personal purchases. Instead of buying everything for your new apartment at once, budget your expenses over time. Additionally, focus on always paying bills first at the beginning of every month. Then, you know how much is still available in your accounts to last the rest of the month.

Why this is important: Money adds up quickly. So, developing these positive habits sooner can save you not only hundreds but possibly thousands per year.

Mistake #3: Waiting to save and worrying about finances later.

Consider consulting with or finding a financial mentor to help you along this new journey. Waiting to save or pay off student loan debt can cause major inconveniences in your future. Knowing where to invest savings is also tricky, but a certified financial specialist can help you. Try the Digit.co app to automatically save up and pay debts and also try to contact friends from college with a finance degree who may be willing to provide some advice at no charge as they begin their careers.

Why this is important: The sooner you start paying down those student loan bills, the better your overall financial situation. If you were to plug your debt numbers into this student loan calculator tool, you may be appalled at the time frame it will take you to pay it all off. The minimum monthly payments barely cover the interest. Plus, creating a savings account and emergency fund will keep you out of sticky financial situations.

Mistake #4: Not investing early.

Time is the greatest benefit you can give yourself when it comes to investing. Even if you are only contributing a few hundred dollars each year, compounding interest rapidly grows your investments over time. Instead of blowing any extra cash you receive, put it away to help provide some financial security for the future. Try the Robinhood app for this, this is the best app for beginner investors like you.

Why this is important: You are only working against yourself the longer you wait to start investing and planning for retirement. Even with minimal contributions, you can create a significant amount of money the earlier you begin. With a little forethought, you can provide a security net and a nice retirement fund.

By thinking about your future now, you can avoid these common financial mistakes recent college grads make. At the same time, you are also building yourself a nice, comfortable financial safety net.

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Pros and Cons of Taking Early Social Security

early social security

You can begin taking early social security payments as young as age 62. Most people start taking it around age 66. Some people believe that you should wait until age 70 if you’re in a position to do so. What’s the right answer? It’s hard to say. There are some big pros and cons to taking that money early. Understanding those can help you make the right decision for your own retirement.

What Happens When You Take Early Social Security?

Generally speaking, you’re able to get your “full retirement” when you reach around age 66. (This varies slightly depending on individual circumstances.) If you take that money early, then you don’t get the full amount. Therefore, your monthly Social Security payments are lower than they would be if you waited.

On the other hand, you start to receive that money sooner. If you reach age 62 and really need that Social Security income, then you might find that it’s worth it to take the lower monthly amount. You’ll start getting that monthly check years before you would if you waited until reaching full retirement age.

So, in terms of the most basic pros and cons, taking your money earlier means:

  • The benefit is that you start receiving your money sooner.
  • The drawback is that you get less money per month throughout your retirement.

Social Security May Change in 2035

The Motley Fool makes a great case for taking early Social Security, which is that big changes may await when it comes to social security. In fact, Congress may cut benefits by 23% for all people receiving social security from that point forward. Therefore, if you’re thinking about retiring between now and then, it might be worth it to take the money early.

Yes, you’ll get less per month when you do that. However, you’ll earn the full “lesser” amount every year up until 2035. The longer you wait to start taking payments, the less time you have to accrue money before that potentially huge Social Security cut.

Of course, we don’t actually know for sure what decision Congress will make. There’s a chance that they won’t make that cut. Or it might not be as big. Therefore, taking early Social Security is a risk. You may opt for the lesser monthly amount now, hoping to accrue more before the big cut, only to find out that the big cut doesn’t happen. You’ll still get the lesser monthly amount. It’s not like you can go backwards in time and “take back” your decision to take early Social Security.

So, taking the money early means:

  • You might get more money overall by cashing out as early as possible before a big cut.
  • If the big cut doesn’t happen, then you might not have made as much as you potentially could have.

We Don’t Know How Long We Will Live

If you had a crystal ball then it might be easier to decide when to take your money. If at age 62 you knew that you only had ten years left to live, then obviously you would take early Social Security. On the other hand, if you knew that you were going to live another thirty years, then you might opt to keep on working until you could completely max out that retirement income.

Unfortunately, there’s no way to know. So the pros and cons really depend on factors that we can’t entirely know or control. All that you can do is make the best decision possible with the information that you have as you reach retirement age. Consider your health and likely longevity based on family history and other factors. Think about how much money you’ll likely get if you take early Social Security vs. the full amount. Weigh what would happen if Congress cut that amount in 2035. Then do your best to decide how the pros and cons balance out.

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Want to Become a 401(K) Millionaire? More and More People Are Doing It.

401(K) Millionaire

Becoming a 401(K) millionaire is possible. It’s not necessarily easy. However, more and more people are succeeding.

What is a 401(K) Millionaire?

If you’ve never heard of the time before then you might wonder exactly what it means to be a 401(K) millionaire. It isn’t complicated. In fact, it’s exactly as the name suggests. A 401(K) millionaire is someone who has at least $1 million in their retirement account.

The Number of 401(K) Millionaires Is on the Rise

According to CNBC, the number of 401(K) millionaires increased by 35% in the first quarter of 2019 (as compared to the previous year). The main reason for this is because of the large number of baby boomers who are hitting that seven figure mark. The average 401(K) millionaire is 60 years old.

How to Become a 401(K) Millionaire

If you want to become a 401(K) millionaire then you have to get a grip on your money immediately. The younger you are when you start setting that money aside, the more likely it is you’ll reach that seven figure retirement target. That said, here are some key tips that anyone can use to increase their 401(k) savings.

Max Out Your Contributions

The most important thing that you can do is to contribute as much as you’re allowed to contribute to your 401(k). Your allowed employee contribution amount changes from year to year. In 2019, you can contribute $19,000.

However, if you’re over the age of 50, then you’re allowed to contribute a little bit more so that you can “catch up.” In 2019, you’re allowed to contribute $6000 extra.

Remember that the numbers tend to increase every year so always check what the latest possibilities are.

Moreover, make sure that you’re maximizing employer contributions. Take advantage of any options you have at work for your employer to contribute up to the maximum amount. In 2019, the maximum employer contribution is $37,000. Go talk to HR today.

Make Smart Investments

When investing your money, it’s important to consider your age and how long it will be before you retire. If you’re young, then invest in equity-based mutual funds. They offer higher risk but bigger reward. Hang on through the ups and downs.

However, as you get older and approach retirement age, it’s time to switch to more conservative investments. That’s when you want to put more money into cash and bonds.

One smart option is to invest your 401(k) money into a target-date fund. You set the target retirement date. Then professionals manage your investments for you with that goal in mind. They’ll follow the same rules as above (riskier investments early on and more conservative ones later) so that you don’t have to worry about the details so much.

Don’t Count Yourself Out

You don’t have to be rich in order to become a 401(K) millionaire. Although it’s best if you start young, don’t count yourself out if you’re older. Even if you don’t reach that seven figure target, aiming to do so can help you maximize your retirement income.

Know What You Need to Save To Become a Retired Millionaire

Use a millionaire calculator in order to get a realistic picture of what it would take for you to have $1 million or more at retirement. You’ll enter:

  • Current age
  • Target retirement age
  • Amount currently invested
  • Savings per month
  • Expected rate of return
  • Expected inflation rate

This gives you your expected savings at retirement. However, you can play around with the “savings per month” number until your expected savings reaches $1 million. Then you know how much you need to save to reach that million mark. While this doesn’t specifically determine your 401(k) amount, it gives you a good idea of how much other savings you’ll have to add to your 401(k) to become a millionaire at retirement.

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