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It took me so long to become "financially literate". I racked up big credit card bills in my 20's, bought a few cars with unfavorable loans around the same time. There was no education on how interest rates work, apr's are calculated and such. I probably lost 10's of thousands on poor financial decisions that I would have avoided if a class like this was around.

Some things I have learned that have become invaluable:

- Risk/reward with stocks, how bonds work.

- Balancing budgets, monthly, yearly.

- 401k, roth IRAs, saving for retirement.

- Credit debt and how to avoid it.

- Interest rates for housing and how it affects the housing market and purchasing power.

- The importance of a "rainy day savings fund".



>I would have avoided if a class like this was around.

I doubt the 20yr old me would've listened anyway.

I, too, racked up some CC debt (nothing crazy) in my early 20s. I knew most concepts outlined above but it's really about dealing with temptations when you finally making real money with full-time work.


Sorry for this barrage of questions:

How did you rationalize building up big credit card bills? You knew you'd have to pay them back some day.

Were you spending without thinking about the bills? Did you not understand what interest was?

Could you afford the monthly payments, and think that if you could everything must be fine?




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