Financial Illiteracy Is Costing You More Than $35,000. Here's How to Change That: Did you know that the average millennial in the US is $36,000 in debt? Sound familiar? You've just gotten out of college and you're overwhelmed by student loan payments. Not only that, an entry-level job is keeping you from earning the money that would support the lifestyle you desire. So, what can you do about it? Is there any way to gain financial stability as early as in your 20s or 30s? Of course there is! And the answer happens to be a whole lot simpler than what you may imagine when thinking of saving and investing. For a start, you need to get out of debt asap. The longer you remain a part of the vicious cycle, the more difficult it is to get out of the debt swamp. You can be debt-free in your late 20s. To accomplish this goal, however, you'll need to do some financial growing up. Once you manage to kill the debt beast, you can move on to pursue all your life goals — saving enough to retire early, starting a family, buying a house, or starting your own business. Financial literacy consists of several simple, yet essential, concepts you'll need to master. In other words, you'll need to learn smart instead of hard when it comes to personal asset management.
