{"id":246252,"date":"2013-06-21T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2013-06-21T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sdnews.com\/opinion-july-21\/"},"modified":"2013-06-21T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2013-06-21T07:00:00","slug":"opinion-july-21","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/opinion-july-21\/","title":{"rendered":"Opinion July 21"},"content":{"rendered":"

Letters<\/h2>\n

Showing support<\/b><\/p>\n

Hi Bill. I am 100 percent behind you and I hope everyone supports you by donating. You have been doing an amazing job for Summit4Stemcell and I appreciate everything you are doing! I encourage everyone who reads this article to support Bill in his dual quest: one to help raise funds for the Parkinson\u2019s research and two so that he can attain his goal of climbing Mt. Everest [see \u201cBill Maddox: Trekking for the cure,\u201d Vol. 5, Issue 12].<\/p>\n

\u2014Ellie Robert, Summit4Stemcell chairperson, via sduptownnews.com<\/i><\/p>\n

Three cheers for Broke Girls\u2019 Coffee Bar<\/b><\/p>\n

Yay for sober sisters and sober football! Can\u2019t wait to try ya\u2019ll [see \u201cBroke Girls breaks into Normal Heights,\u201d Vol. 5, Issue 12].<\/p>\n

\u2014Lin, via sduptownnews.com<\/i><\/p>\n

I am sooooo proud of you my dear Mal, and hope to one day meet your business partner. It sounds like a lovely place.<\/p>\n

\u2014Kimi, via sduptownnews.com<\/i><\/p>\n

I wish it would stay open later, but, heck, I\u2019ll readjust my schedule a little to hang out at a place as awesome as this.<\/p>\n

\u2014Steven Shultz, via sduptownnews.com<\/i><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Editorial<\/h2>\n

Your financial life after graduation<\/p>\n

By Jason Alderman<\/p>\n

To the millions of college and high school seniors who recently graduated (and to their parents, who weathered the ups and downs of reaching that summit): congratulations on a job well done. After the celebration dies down, you\u2019ll no doubt be eager to embark on life\u2019s next chapter, whether it\u2019s finding a job, preparing for college or enrolling in military or community service.<\/p>\n

Before you jump in feet first, however, let me share a few financial lessons I learned the hard way when I was just starting out. They might save you a lot of money in the long run and help you get closer to your life goals, whether it\u2019s buying a house, starting a family or even retiring early \u2013 as far off as that may sound.<\/p>\n

First, pretend you\u2019re still a starving student. After landing your first full-time job, the urge to go on a spending spree for new clothes, a better apartment and a car from this decade will be irresistible after surviving on ramen noodles for four years. But unless you had generous scholarships or a rich aunt, you\u2019re probably already saddled with thousands of dollars in student loan debt.<\/p>\n

Note to entering freshmen: tread carefully around student loan debt. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has a great guide for making informed decisions about paying for college at consumerfinance.gov\/students.<\/p>\n

After you\u2019ve factored in rent, car payments, renter\u2019s and car insurance, credit card charges, student loan balances and other monthly bills (not to mention payroll taxes such as Social Security tax, which went up two percent this year), your new salary probably won\u2019t go as far as you\u2019d like, especially if you\u2019re trying to save for one of those life events.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s where a budget can help. Numerous free budgeting tools, including interactive calculators, are available at such sites as the government-sponsored MyMoney.gov, the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (nfcc.org), Mint.com and Practical Money Skills for Life (practicalmoneyskills.com).<\/p>\n

Next, know the score, credit-wise. Many people don\u2019t realize until it\u2019s too late that a poor credit score can trash your financial future. After you\u2019ve missed a few loan payments, bounced some checks or exceeded your credit limits, you\u2019ll probably be charged higher loan and credit card interest rates and offered lower credit limits (if not denied credit altogether), unless and until you can raise your credit score. You may even have to pay higher insurance rates and harm your ability to rent an apartment or get a cell phone.<\/p>\n

To know where you stand, review your credit reports from each of the three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion) to find out whether any negative actions have been reported and to look for errors or possible fraudulent activity on your accounts. You can order one free report per year from each bureau if you order them through AnnualCreditReport.com; otherwise you\u2019ll pay a small fee.<\/p>\n

To learn more about credit reports and scores, visit the CFPB\u2019s \u201cAsk CFPB.\u201d Another good resource is What\u2019s My Score (whatsmyscore.org), a financial literacy program for young adults run by Visa, which features a free, downloadable workbook called, \u201cMoney 101: A Crash Course in Better Money Management,\u201d and other free tools.<\/p>\n

You worked hard to graduate. Just make sure you don\u2019t sabotage your efforts by starting out on the wrong financial footing.<\/p>\n

\u2014Jason Alderman directs Visa\u2019s financial education programs. Follow him at twitter.com\/PracticalMoney.<\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Cartoon<\/h2>\n

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