Under 35

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Don’t be cynical. Get serious.

The FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) movement is a suggestion that you should have the goal of achieving financial independence and retiring while you are young.

It is hard to prioritize saving, but it pays off. Here is how.

There are many opportunities to pay your children. If that payment can be counted as earned income, then the child is eligible to fund their Roth IRA.

When I was a teen, my grandfather George Marotta passed down to me his copy of “What You Need to Know Before You Invest” by Rod Davis. I recommend this book as way to gain a baseline understanding.

“We have simply not been able to serve those who really need us the most.”

David John Marotta was interviewed on Radio 1070’s Schilling Show discussing getting your finances in order.

Financial planning is simply doing what it takes to give you the means to do what you want. The poorer you are the more you need financial planning. You don’t have any margin for mistakes.

Families that consider generational financial planning techniques can reduce the burden of taxes on the family as a whole.

The IRS does not require dependents whose gross income is only earned income to file a tax return if the amount is less than a certain amount.

You probably know that you should spend less than you earn, but that is only part of the equation.

While your student loans may be a daunting sum, it is still possible to build wealth even while paying off student debt.

David John Marotta was interviewed on WINA’s “Real Estate Matters” show with Michael Guthrie, talking about how it is still a good time to buy a house.

A swimmer takes one stroke at a time and yet makes great progress.

An alternate look at the formula using the case study of Kate the Social worker who wants an MBA from Georgetown University.

Your future path is sure to take many unexpected twists and turns, but you should run the numbers. Your future self will thank you.

Sometimes, there isn’t enough to do it all. Even then, fund your Roth.

The average married couple has dreams of multiple children, annual vacations, and homeownership, but planning for these expenses can be challenging.

You might think that you can’t qualify, but many well-paid families are eligible.

For those who do not want to be investors, a fast-track repayment may be best. But for those willing to save and invest, there is a better option.

After automating your entire investment plan, you can save and invest without even having to watch.

All new employees have to fill out form W-4, but despite its ubiquity, most people don’t understand it.

David John Marotta and Megan Russell were interviewed on the radio discussing ways recent graduates can make themselves more attractive to employers in today’s tough job market.

The list of jobs for a History major seems quite short: Historian and Historic Preservation come quickly, then maybe Politics, if you think particularly hard about it.

David John Marotta was recently interviewed on radio 1070 WINA’s Schilling Show discussing success, and how to structure your life for greater chances of success.

How do you know if you can contribute to a Roth IRA? See this flowchart for answers.

Often the needs and wants of the present take our attention at the expense of the future. You want a system that will prioritize saving without needing your constant attention.

Today’s question: What if something happens to me and I am not able to make decisions for myself?

Stop borrowing from your future self. Each day you fail to save is another day where you tighten the ball and chain around your ankle. You deserve better than that.

Here’s how to earn a slow million.

While you know about the duplicate wedding gifts to exchange or return, and your mother is reminding you to finish writing Thank You notes, you might not remember all the other things you need to do.

Someone has to be proactive about your child’s retirement and every year you don’t open a retirement account is another year you’re holding back compound interest.

Any money you put away and invest now will have the longest time to grow, due to the magic (or actually, the mathematics) of compound interest.

A typical college degree is worth up to a million bucks over a career, but that’s not true for every degree.

Because of inflation, today’s 20-year-olds will need over $7 million to have the same lifestyle when they retire.

The good people at You Need A Budget (YNAB) have made their budgeting solution free for college students; including part-time students.

Most young people don’t understand inflation as well as their parents and grandparents.

I’ve learned to develop a thick skin when sharing ideas with the masses but if these commenters represent some general barometer of financial sanity, we appear to be losing the battle.

When a woman gets married she often changes her name. Once you’ve changed your name at the Social Security Administration, the DMV, your employer and employer benefits, and your passport, it’s time for the last few changes.

The DMV was my second stop in the name-change process because it makes subsequent name changes easier.

For $50 and a lifelong commitment, you can legally change your identity!

The complete guide to saving money while washing your clothes. What temperature should the water be? What cycle should I use? What detergent should I use?

Sometimes what stops someone from following advice is just not knowing where to begin or how easy it is. Many personal financial advisors have minimums, so where do you start if you only have a small amount of money to invest?

So now, after encouraging you to save 10% for emergencies, 15% for financial independence (often called “retirement”), and 10% for long-term savings, we’ve whittled down your income to about 65%. This 65% is for day-to-day living.

Milestones in life encourage advice. In 2012, I graduated, got married, and started a job and then this year, I bought a house. I received a lot of great advice, but here is some of the worse advice I was given.

The complete guide to saving money while drying your clothes. Should I air dry? Can I line dry inside? Is there ever a case when my dryer is cheaper?

In addition to emergency savings and retirement saving, you should also stash away 10% or so for long-term investing. Let the magic of compound interest make you money.

My recent column, 8 Worst Money Tips for New Grads, was recently published on Yahoo Finance. I originally wrote this column with the voice of a Dutch Uncle admonishing college students to stay out of financial ruin.

“Don’t air condition the outside” and “Turn the lights off when you leave a room” are often quoted as proverbs of energy savings, but the real savings is in several other appliances.