May your launch be successful, college graduates

This is the time of year when many of life’s transitions are launched. There are a lot of young adults graduating from high school who will soon be leaving home for the very first time. Similarly, there are a lot of young men and women who are graduating from college, ready to step out into the world and hoping to become self sufficient.

In a perfect world, all of them would either be launching their professional careers or continuing their education in a specialized program such as medical or law school.

But the world isn’t perfect. Yes, the economy may be improving, but far too many young adults will be returning home to mom and dad, still seeking their destiny.

May is also what I refer to as the beginning of the wedding season. In fact, it was exactly one year ago that one of my sons got married. And whether or not the bride and groom have matriculated through college, they too, are making a major transition.

So, we have high school grads, college grads and newlyweds, each of them embarking on lifelong journeys and all beginning in and around the month of May.

To all those young men and women graduating from high school or college or beginning their lives together with a significant other,

I offer a tip of my hat — and some advice.

At many graduation ceremonies the speaker encourages the graduates to change the world in a positive manner. I agree that this is a wonderful and compelling message, but I offer something more specific. I want to encourage all young adults to be fiscally responsible.

What exactly do I mean by fiscally responsible? First and foremost, keep your debt under control. If you borrowed money to get through college, simply pay it back.

Unfortunately there has never been more college debt than there is today, but loans should be repaid. You can always rationalize why repaying your debt should be put on the back burner. But, at the end of the day, your debt is your responsibility, not your fellow taxpayers.

Another piece of advice is simply to live within your means. In this world you can quickly run up sizeable debt with a visit to Amazon and a few clicks. I’m not suggesting that you don’t spend, but, just as with investments, balance is the key.

Finally, develop good savings habits. Don’t just save what’s left over, but rather become a disciplined saver. For example, start saving $50 per month and stick with it no matter what. A year later, increase the amount to $100. This is just an example, but making savings a habit is important.

I include newlyweds in the ‘major transition’ equation because, in financial terms, marriage is somewhat of a financial merger. You might be marrying into a large college debt or marrying someone who can’t save a nickel.

Unfortunately, money disagreements are often cited as a reason why marriages don’t succeed. My suggestion is talk about money prior to tying the knot. Both parties should be aware of the circumstances.

I believe it’s important to develop proper money skills and habits. Over the years, I’ve observed that those who have a grasp of their finances turn out to be more responsible, generous and confident in their future.