Starting Out

Financial planning can help students review loans, aid, and summer income before the next school year costs create budget surprises.

Budgeting helps clarify cash flow, align spending with priorities, and choose a practical system for saving and everyday decisions.

Student loan repayment in your 20s feels heavy. Learn simple steps for managing debt, an emergency fund, and a sinking fund, and getting started with investing.

Learn the financial fundamentals your 20-year-old self should know: avoid debt traps, build credit, start saving and investing early, and create habits that lead to long-term success.

Every financial plan should include an emergency savings fund. An emergency savings fund is money that is saved for unplanned expenses, such as (but not limited to) medical bills, home and car repairs, or unexpected loss of income.

For many people, credit scores feel like something to avoid—like the financial version of checking under the bed for monsters.

Traditional accounts – such as a 401(k) or IRA – allow you to contribute pretax dollars or receive a tax deduction, offering a tax break upfront.

Working with a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professional as early as in your twenties can put you ahead in meeting your long-term financial goals. Here are a few tax tips to follow in your twenties.

Financial planning for Gen Zers and Millennials requires a different approach than for older generations. These young adults often balance careers and income with student debt, buying a home, marriage, building families and saving for retirement, just to mention a few financial intentions.

Reflecting on my journey, I’m compelled to share financial wisdom I wish I’d known sooner as a college student. Financial illiteracy is a pervasive issue, and many college students overlook the importance of a financial plan simply because they don’t know where to start.