Renting your First Apartment - Renting that first apartment can be
exciting and a little bit scary. You will probably look at several
apartments to find the one that has the location you want, the
amenities you need and that is affordable. That is the exciting part.
This article describes what come next.
Preparing Your First Budget - A budget is generally thought of as
a rigid plan on how you can spend your money. While this is true,
you may want to think of it as a "household spending analysis." That
does not sound so onerous and it better implies how you can use it
to build a solid financial foundation and feel more in control of your
finances. A sample spending analysis worksheet is included.
Buying Your First Car - Buying a car is exciting, potentially
stressful, and often expensive. In fact, for many people, buying a car
is the third most expensive type of transaction they have - after a
house and an education. To the process easier, consider that there
are three parts of the process - choosing the car you want,
negotiating the purchase, and paying for the car.
Getting and Using Your First Credit Card - A "first" credit card can
be exciting, tempting and intimidating. Credit cards are a great
convenience, but they are also borrowing money that must be
repaid. Here are some ideas to keep in mind as you get your credit
card and use it.
Establishing a Relationship with a Financial Institution - A good
working relationship with a financial institution is part of a solid
financial foundation. Finding the right one is important. There are
probably dozens, if not hundreds, of institutions that offer the
products and services you want and need either located close by or
with which you can create an electronic relationship. This article
describes some of the issues to consider when choosing an
institution.
Buying Your First House - Owning your own home has been part
of the "American Dream" for years. The pride of ownership and
sense of "belonging somewhere" have been strong factors in
motivating over 60% of all households to own their own homes. In
addition, there can be true financial rewards from home ownership.
But, not always.
Making Your First Investments - You may already be making
investments through your retirement plan at work, but at some point
you may have funds that you want to invest on your own. This article
focuses on some simple issues you should consider and provides
some details on how to take that step.
Filling Out The Paperwork For Your First Job - After the
interview, the salary negotiation and getting hired, you will probably
go to the Human Resource Department or see the Business
Manager to handle some of the financial details of your job.
Understanding those details ahead of time and being prepared to
address them can make the paperwork much easier.
Handling Your First Retirement Plan Distribution When
Changing Jobs - If you have participated in a company retirement
plan like a 401(k) plan and change jobs, you will probably receive a
distribution of the funds you have accumulated in your plan. If you
have participated for several years, the distribution could be quite
substantial. Over the course of your working career, you may
receive several lump sum distributions and what you do with those
funds and how you handle the distribution is important.
Filing Your First Income Tax Return - It may sound frightening, but
it not as bad as it may sound. Filing income tax returns is something
that everyone has been doing since 1913 and it is something you will
be doing for the rest of your life. You may decide to use a
professional to prepare your return or prepare it yourself with or
without the help of income tax software. In any case, there are some
things you should know to make the whole process easier.
