Recently, my 25-year-old niece shared with me some of the strategies she was using to secure her financial future. She explained that she had rejected the credit-card consumption culture that was so prevalent in the United States, by only buying things that she could afford.

Saving a good portion of her salary was her main aim, as she wanted to amass a significant down payment before she bought her own home.

Although I was filled with pride as I listened to her reveal her smart money habits, I couldn’t help but reflect on my own financial history, which was quite the opposite. When I was 25, my income was inadequate, my debt was distressing, and my net worth was nonexistent. Continue reading No Regrets →