Anonymous wrote:Not really what you're asking - but I went through a similar phase at about the same age, and I have a suggestion for you. My dad let me pick a stock every month to put $25 in, and he provided the $25. He also brought me along to a meeting with his stock broker so I could learn a bit, but that's optional, I think. The only rule was - this was retirement money, I was not to touch it before then, and when I grew up, I would keep it going, with my own money, at least $25 a month. As the novelty wore off, I'd pick one and have it be the stock for the next several months. Sometime in college, I switched to funds rather than picking stocks. When I got my first job out of college, we switched the account to be totally in my own name, and switched the $25 a month to be coming from my checking account. At that point, it had a few thousand dollars in it, nothing huge. But this was the start of my retirement account.

I've never had a job that offered a 401(k) match (it was either nothing, or they just put in X% of your salary), so I've always just kept up with this transfer. Changed financial planners at some point. Now at age 36, put in way more than $25 a month (obviously), but even in times of unemployment/underemployment, I've always put in at least $25 every month.

That habit was worth way more than the $3k or so that Dad shelled out for this. So many people wake up at age 29 and realized they haven't saved a penny. I've always been ahead of the curve! Something to consider.

Anonymous wrote:Not really what you're asking - but I went through a similar phase at about the same age, and I have a suggestion for you. My dad let me pick a stock every month to put $25 in, and he provided the $25. He also brought me along to a meeting with his stock broker so I could learn a bit, but that's optional, I think. The only rule was - this was retirement money, I was not to touch it before then, and when I grew up, I would keep it going, with my own money, at least $25 a month. As the novelty wore off, I'd pick one and have it be the stock for the next several months. Sometime in college, I switched to funds rather than picking stocks. When I got my first job out of college, we switched the account to be totally in my own name, and switched the $25 a month to be coming from my checking account. At that point, it had a few thousand dollars in it, nothing huge. But this was the start of my retirement account.

I've never had a job that offered a 401(k) match (it was either nothing, or they just put in X% of your salary), so I've always just kept up with this transfer. Changed financial planners at some point. Now at age 36, put in way more than $25 a month (obviously), but even in times of unemployment/underemployment, I've always put in at least $25 every month.

That habit was worth way more than the $3k or so that Dad shelled out for this. So many people wake up at age 29 and realized they haven't saved a penny. I've always been ahead of the curve! Something to consider.