my mother – a seemingly Florence Nightingale-type who can seamlessly switch on her inner Iliza Shlesinger – opened my first bank account at a local credit union, but it never really seemed like my account until I turned 18. Sure, it had my name on it, but that was only because it was required for depositing the child support checks we received after my parents’ divorce. I never actually considered that money mine. To be fair, it really wasn’t. That money was for things like school supplies, groceries and childcare. It is never wasted on me how lucky I am in having a mom that only dipped into these funds when it was a necessity, setting the rest aside for a down payment on my first car years down the road.
We all have our own financial journeys throughout life. There will be stumbles and successes on the road of financial literacy, but here’s the secret that the adults never told us: There’s no road map or perfect formula to banking. Sharing experiences, however, is a good place to start. Here’s what I’ve learned so far as I navigate my way through this sea of green money and, almost always by accident, choose which paths to wander down.
Don’t let thoughts of the future overwhelm you. Start now, and even little steps will take you far in the long run!
We’re breaking down the most common loan and credit vocabulary terms so you can be confident in your financial knowledge and avoid being taken advantage of. Read through the terms from A to G in Part 1 of our credit vocabulary lessons.
Our Journey Accounts help guide you in the right direction toward your financial goals, no matter where you're headed.
We know you're dealing with a lot during this tumultuous time of your life – whether you're studying for finals, dealing with endless work hours, or trying to connect to reliable wifi abroad, we have your back. We'll make sure to send you off on the right path with advanced savings and loan options to build your credit, not to mention resources to help you learn all about managing your money.
