The teen years are full of opportunity. The time is perfect for making a few smart moves to maximize the chance of creating a rewarding life. What does that entail?
Everyone has their own definition of the idea, but for most, it’s about preparing for a successful and interesting career, finding a safe and comfortable place to live, and creating long-term financial stability through middle age and into post-retirement years.
Step one focuses on the here and now, namely getting serious about earning decent grades in school.
After that, teenagers should pay attention to building good credit, managing their money, learning to drive safely, maintaining proper fitness and health, delaying long-term relationships, networking, getting worthwhile job experience, and exploring the idea of life insurance coverage.
Here are the specifics…
Get Serious About School
Becoming serious about academics does not mean only focusing on schoolwork and earning straight As.
The point is to adjust your attitude about how important school is. Most young adults reach a turning point at which they slowly realize that their performance in the classroom is closely related to their job prospects, future career, and long-term security.
Some reach that insight when they’re quite young, while others don’t see the light until they’re well along in college.
If you want to gain some quick insight into why it’s so crucial to take school seriously, read up on the early lives of some of the nation’s leading entrepreneurs in industry, entertainment, science, and business.
Nearly all of them placed a high value on education at a young age.
Start Building a Credit History
It’s never too early to start creating a financial footprint. In today’s digital environment, major credit bureaus gather billions of pieces of data every day.
No matter your age, once you begin borrowing and spending with a credit account in your name, the agencies notice the activity and begin to assemble a file of your financial transactions.
If you pay bills on time, don’t charge too much too quickly, and generally handle money responsibly, you’ll have a positive rating within a year or so. Why worry about building credit?
The reality of the modern world is that people with weak credit ratings or non-existent files have trouble doing all sorts of things, like renting cars or apartments, purchasing homes, borrowing money to buy a car, and more.
If you do manage to get a loan, a solid rating or score can mean lower interest rates, the chance to borrow a larger amount of money, and better repayment terms.
But what if you currently have no financial history?
You can remedy the situation by taking action to build credit, developing a file with the three bureaus, and learning how to handle money responsibly.
Learn to Manage Personal Finances
Acquiring the skills to handle your own money, income, bills, and savings is a sign of true maturity.
Plus, the ability goes together with the concept of building a financial and credit history as early in life as possible.
The internet is a powerful resource for those who want to learn about creating a monthly budget, putting a little bit of cash aside from every paycheck, and paying bills on time.
Most of the major finance and banking websites offer free tutorials about how to keep track of what you earn and spend.
It’s not rocket science, but there are several unique skills involved in the process. Step one is to maintain accurate, up-to-date records.
After that, you can use one of the many no-cost budgeting apps to input daily spending, earning, and savings data.
Even though the app does all or most of the calculating and record-keeping, it’s essential to understand the mechanics of budgeting to get a grip on personal finances.
Take a Defensive Driving Course
Most schools teach the basic driver’s education class that is mandated by many states. Young drivers who take the course can get a break on insurance premiums, but there’s an even better way to acquire high-level driving skills.
Take an advanced operator’s class, most of which are called “Defensive Driving.” The training lasts about four weeks, with two 4-hour sessions per week.
The total 32 hours of instruction are geared to equip young adults with tactics and strategies for avoiding accidents.
There are some online versions, but it’s best to take an in-person course. Prices are low, and some cities offer training for free to teenagers.
Choose Jobs Carefully
There’s nothing wrong with taking summer jobs for the sole purpose of earning money.
Most high school and college students have been doing so for generations. But in today’s competitive economy, it’s wise to spend time selecting part-time and summer jobs that can contribute to your long-term employability.
If you have the chance to pick a fast-food summer job or one at the local bank, the latter will likely provide a wider range of professional skills.
Of course, much depends on what kind of career you want.
If medical school is in your future, consider taking summer work at hospitals, clinics, or doctor’s offices.
Educate Yourself About Life Insurance
Take an hour to read a few non-technical articles about life insurance and why it makes sense to purchase a policy young.
If you’re like 99% of teenagers, the idea of insurance is the last thing on your mind. But don’t ignore the possibility of building a substantial cash value in a policy for just a few dollars per month.
Later, long before you retire, a life policy could be the source of considerable wealth as well as a source of low-interest loans.
The point to remember is that the coverage is not just for leaving money to surviving loved ones.
Life insurance coverage is a financial instrument that comes with a death benefit but several other lucrative features.
But the huge advantage for older teens is that the cost of the coverage is based primarily on the age of the purchaser.
If you’re 18, 19, or 20, those rates are rock-bottom low and offer incredible monetary value for the money spent on monthly premiums.
If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions leave them down below. Thanks for reading!
