First-Job Earners Anxious About Their Salary

“I’m 21 and currently in college. A few years ago, I inherited some money from a relative who passed away. I put most of it into CDs, and my total savings/investments are now around $52k. Currently, about 90% of my money is in CDs, which will mature within the next few months. I also have around $5k in checking/savings. My undergraduate expenses are covered by scholarships, and I don’t have much regular income right now. I typically receive around $2k per semester from scholarships after my expen”

“Most of us aren't. I have accounts at real banks paying 4% though. At 16, you may have a problem getting those kinds of accounts unfortunately.”

“I’m 21 and currently in college. A few years ago, I inherited some money from a relative who passed away. I put most of it into CDs, and my total savings/investments are now around $52k. Currently, about 90% of my money is in CDs, which will mature within the next few months. I also have around $5k in checking/savings. My undergraduate expenses are covered by scholarships, and I don’t have much regular income right now. I typically receive around $2k per semester from scholarships after my expen”

“20 year old dude who is recovered from a terrible gambling addiction. I am a full time student but I run my own landscaping and dirt work business while in school. On AVERAGE (busy season way more and winter way less) I make about $5-5.5k a month after taxes and all business expenses. I have a regular savings account with my local bank that has $5k, a HYSA with Ally that has $15k, and I just opened a Roth IRA and put around $2.5k in it (planning to max it out). I am not into the stock market lik”

Oh okay, thank you!

I like your idea.

“I got 10 k in savings 7k in checking and 1700$ in bonds and 2300$ cash. After bills I’ll have 20k total but how should I allocate it. I recently graduated college and make about 5-9k a month depending on how I perform. Any advice? submitted by /u/Entire_Wear_3478 [link] [comments]”

“I would invest it in either yourself with education/training or to start a business. if these are things you are interested in. If not put it into a mutual fund.”

“I’ve got around $29-30k sitting in a high-yield savings account and roughly $25k in stocks. I make about $5,500/month after tax if I don’t pick up extra shifts. Buying a house here isn’t really on my radar anytime soon, mortgage rates are around 9%, and even a small, unremarkable house runs about $700k. I already have a reliable car worth about $15k, so that’s not something I need to save toward either. I just don’t have anyone in my life who can actually advise me on how much I should be invest”

“What financial accounts should i open up or take a look into researching? I'm 20 with a regular checking and savings account with 20k I'm with my parents so I get to save maiority of everything submitted by /u/stroke-me-a-river [link] [comments]”

“Is this realized gain or potential gain. Waiting till the hold time hits 1 year gets you much better rates.”

“The OP says he has $6k of W-2 income and the comment says to contribute that $6k to an IRA”

As long as you are of legal age you can.

“I'm audhd (not saying my age, but younger than 25) in the UK and have had a savings account with £20K or so put away by my mother over the years. Now, you people are probably the best people to ask because I am depressed over my situation and not making anything meaningful out of it. The situation is that I am not very smart, I can't concentrate for shit (unmedicated ADHD, will be getting medicated sometime so maybe this will help) so this rules out education in university. I do have a p”

“21 year old, saved about 20k USD internship money and parked in the fidelity account (SPAXX). I'll need about $12- $1300 per month for the next 12 months for senior living expenses. Tuition is taken care of. Any better way to invest? submitted by /u/AccomplishedCat5581 [link] [comments]”

“It's not red flag material depending on the financial instrument. For a standard savings account, yes it's high. For a high yield savings account, a CD, or a money market account, it's right in line with what I've seen.”

“Hey everyone, I’m new to Reddit so I figured I would introduce myself and my current situation. I’m 19, currently in college and working construction. I have about $10,000 saved, but the construction project I’m working on is coming to an end soon. My goal is to build wealth and eventually create enough cash flow that I’m not dependent on a normal day job. I’m really interested in real estate—rentals, house hacking, duplexes, etc.—but I’m also open to starting a business or other opportunities.”

“this is true tbh, having any real savings at that age puts you ahead of the curve”

“I recently got placed and realized I know embarrassingly little about managing money. I want to start learning about finance properly, not just randomly picking stocks because someone on Instagram/YouTube said they’re going to go up. I’m mainly interested in things like: • Personal finance and managing my salary • Saving and budgeting • Stocks and how the stock market actually works • Mutual funds, index funds, ETFs, etc. • Long-term investing • Trading maybe? Understanding things like taxes, in”

“I’m 19, working and saving up to do something bigger with my money. I’m not sure whether I should buy a rental property, buy a business, or do something else, but I want to grow my capital. I have $14k invested and $16k saved, so about $30k total. Even though I’m doing well for my age, I feel kind of empty and like I should be doing more to make more money. I want to know what you would do if you were in my shoes. submitted by /u/Life-Pound9010 [link] [comments]”

Can you explain why this is bad?

“I'm a first-year MBBS student in India. I have around ₹30000 saved up and won't need this money for at least X years. I have no debt and I'm new to investing. Should I invest in mutual funds, ETFs, stocks, gold, or something else? My goal is long-term wealth creation rather than quick profits. Any advice for a beginner? submitted by /u/TestGullible1806 [link] [comments]”

“I have $80k in my savings account. I’m not sure where to start. I’d prefer having someone else handle investments and stuff, but don’t know where to begin. Any advice is helpful. Thanks. submitted by /u/notenoughbooze [link] [comments]”

“17F. Saving/investing for college; yes, I’m aware you shouldn’t invest if you want to use the money within 5 years, but I believe this is the correct decision for me (I will not be forced to withdraw if the stock market crashes and I happen to have a $$$$ expense). I didn’t fully understand or aware of how 529 plans worked, such as how if you are given a scholarship you can withdraw an equal amount without penalty or that eventually it can be rolled over into a Roth IRA. Therefore I invested 10k”

“I know this is going to be a bit of a stretch but if you talk to your parents I'm sure they'd help. If you start at 16 and put your money into an index fund, each 100 dollars that you save between age 16 and 23 will (roughly) be worth 12,800 dollars when you turn 65. Every 7 years that drops by half(23-30 is x64 etc), you'll never get as large of a return as you do by saving early.”

“You now have the start of a nest egg - not $1000 to spend. Have this attitude and I’ll see you in 5 years when you post ‘hey just saved $100,000’”

“Well investing, betting or starting a business require hard work, research and learning or sometimes getting lucky or all combined. To invest first you have to earn money in some way from a job and you have to have savings also. Plus you have to do your research into what you're investing and why in order to make sure not to lose your money on something sure to fail or at least having less chances of failing. Betting on predictions, sports, etc.. actually require more than luck most of the t”

“Hey everyone, I’m 19 and currently in college. I’ve been wanting to start taking investing more seriously and would really appreciate some advice from people who have more experience than me. Right now I have around $6,000 in savings that I’m considering investing. I currently use Robinhood, but I’m thinking about moving over to either Fidelity or Charles Schwab . From what I understand, both are pretty good long-term brokerages, but I’m not sure if there’s a major reason to choose one over the”

“I am 18 working full time making 50k a year with a career path in my company. I am saving up to move out of my parents house, I have 4 years before I am required to move out but I’d like to move out in 2-3 years if I can, and I wanted to know where you would recommend I be putting the money that I am saving for a house. I save 50% toward a house(currently in a high yield savings account at 3%), 15% toward retirement (8% [3% employer match] Roth 401k, 5% Roth IRA, and 5% in a brokerage), and 20%”

“Get after it. You’re young and have time to build some serious wealth! Be patient, don’t listen to social media influencers, you’ll do great.”

“I’m 21 years old and have approximately $300,000 USD available to invest. My long-term goal is not to live luxuriously, but to build a flexible life in which I can travel extensively and eventually no longer need a conventional full-time job. I understand that $300,000 probably isn’t enough to retire permanently at 21, especially given inflation, healthcare costs, taxes, and the possibility of living for another 60–70 years. I’m therefore interested in the most realistic strategy for using this”

“I'm a college student who currently is keeping money in a normal bank account and I'm interested in setting up a high yield savings account and Roth IRA but I just don't know where to start. I roamed around, researching at a bunch of different credit unions and banks seeing what they have to offer. The big finance companies like Charles Schwab and Fidelity from what I've seen, while they do offer good options for setting up a Roth, they have low APY for savings accounts. I know t”

“I'm a college student, and I don't really know what to do with my money. My mom told me to open a "brokerage account" and invest in a "low-cost index fund", but she heard this from Facebook. After researching, I am still confused about what it is, and I'm worried I'll waste my money by investing it in the wrong place. Can anyone explain this to me, and is this a good idea? I know investing can help my money grow long-term, but I don't know where to open ac”

“I’m saving money to move out. So far, I have 600 extra dollars. I’m unfamiliar with investing and new to saving, so any advice on where to put this would be appreciated. I’m not expecting to double my money or anything, just want to try something new. submitted by /u/mimimalist [link] [comments]”

“You missed the park they said “+ money I know you’ll need soon” soon is relative, but if you know you’re going abroad next year, that’s when you start to shift strategy. I guess it really depends on your income/spending habits to know how “long” that period should be, but for us, if we’re planning a nice or international vacation typically we have at least 4-6mo+ from flights or lodging purchases to start saving up. That’s plenty of time for us to save what we need, but generally we stop contrib”

“So yesterday I made a post about investment and I got a few comments saying I should have an emergency fund before starting one and I thought that was actually a good idea the only problem is how do I build it while investing or do I just atop the investment and build one first also how many months of saving do I need In that Emergency Fund I have read like 3-6 months but is that practical? Also do you have an emergency fund if yes of how much and when did you make it ? submitted by”

“Hello, i am a 18 year old and plan on investing as soon as i can to compound as much as possible, although i am mitigated between 2 choices in front of me; I am from Europe and have saved 1200 Euros, And have promised my cousin and family to visit them in California this summer, the plane ticket would be of about 1000 Euros, which would set me back, but i also know that i won't experience teenage vacations in the following years as i am commencing flight school. Now being a pilot would allow”

“Hello i was hoping to get some advise on what to do i have around 18k coming my way and I really dont wanna waste the opportunity. Im 21 I currently have no job no debt live with family so rent is very cheap I'd really like to get into a small business. I have done storage unit bids and made some money so I kinda wanna do more of that and I met a guy doing that who is really into units and wants to end up getting a thrift store type thing and is willing to bring me in as a business partner(t”

“I have a $1000 in my savings account right now. What investments or deposit schemes are out there which are actually beneficial and can help me grow up from this $1000? submitted by /u/FinancialNarwhal9889 [link] [comments]”

“So, I'm wanting to set myself up for further down the line in life. I've always loved accounting and mathematics so I'm using those skills to see what is best for me. I'm about to start college, and know once Im graduated, I'll wish to move on from where I currently am. I have a good understanding for CDs but am keeping all options open. So I'd love to have TBills explained to me, so I have an understanding of those as well. Im from Wisconsin, so CDs are subjected to stat”

“hey y’all!! please be nice :)) any advice and recommendation would help A LOT!! i’m 18 years old, a pre-nursing student in college. i just moved to the US a year ago. i have $5k in savings. i started investing in may 2026. from may to august, i plan on putting in $100 every month. from september to december, i’ll start putting in $200 to end the year with me investing $1000+. for 2027, i want to increase my contributions just a little bit from $100 to $200. is this the right move or should i add”

“My situation is complicated and I have limited understanding of these things, so I’d really appreciate any advice. I am a U.S. citizen and 23 years old. I just got a new full-time job. My employer does NOT do 401(k) matching. I’ll have a pension, but I’ll likely leave this job before being vested, so I won’t get the employer pay credit. I believe there’s 4% interest on the pension. I currently have $3,000 in checking, $6,000 in savings. I’m planning on moving my savings to an Ally HYSA this week”

“People are telling you to invest it and taking a lump sum but they’re not considering what kind of position you’re in (college student), and how you are with finances (not investing at this moment, and may not plan to until you’re more educated) and tax implications of taking a lump sum. I say take the monthly payments. Especially since your income is low right now and will be for some years, you’ll save money and won’t have to worry about how your 109k is performing and how much you have to pay”

“No offense but $3,000 isn’t enough to panic over. A regular savings account will be fine. If you are sure you won’t need the money for awhile you could buy a CD etc if you want to earn a little more interest.”

“I'm a college student (19) and I want to figure out where I should be putting my money into. I know that generally it's good to invest into Roth and Traditional IRAs, but since I earned my money through cash, I don't think I can. Should I just be investing into stocks / ETFs or is there something else I should be putting my money into? Or should I try to declare some of the money on my tax report and put it into IRAs. I worked as a coach and a stringer + a job in my senior year of hi”

“Hi guys, I’m 26 years old. I’m an international student in the US currently working in OPT and I just recently started earning I don’t make that much around 65,000 a year and I am not very good with my finances. I have a history of not saving or investing my money and I want to change that starting now so I was thinking of investing a little bit of my income I do have a few credit debts and so far all I was doing was repaying my debt all the time but now I was thinking I could just utilize some”

“I’m 23 and just started my first job out of college in Big 4 accounting. I make $94k/year (potential $10k CPA bonus) and have no debt. I currently have about $20k in a checking account. Current setup: - 401(k): contributing 10% (no employer match during my first year) - Maxing out HSA - Maxing out Roth IRA (Fidelity Freedom Index 2065) $1,300/month rent I’m trying to figure out what to do with the $20k. I’m thinking I should keep some in checking for normal expenses, move some into a HYSA for an”

“Just got a job as an ER Tech with a hospital making about 1700 a month while going to college I have about 15k in savings 30k in a 529 plan thanks to my parents and my new job offers a 401k with 3 percent match my question is should I open a Roth IRA instead of the 401k with the hospital because someday I want to buy a house and use the money from that and home prices are crazy. submitted by /u/Outside_Wasabi_4115 [link] [comments]”

“I’m 23 from the U.S and have around 20k saved up so far (I’ll be able to contribute more). I run a service business and that pays for all my other expenses like rent, car, food etc. What would be the smartest way to invest most of this? Looking at a roth ira but is there other investments I should consider. I’m completely new to all of this. I’d ideally like to be able to retire early and use this money before getting old lol. I wouldn’t mind higher risk if it means achieving my goal sooner. But”

“18 M here. Live in London. Have just finished A-levels with 3As in Maths Chemistry and Biology. I have a job that lets me save £1500 a month which I would like to invest with. Unfortunately no one in my circle, neither family nor friends invest in stocks or similar opportunities and although AI exists and can be useful, I feel like I’m not asking it the right questions. What I would like to gather from you kind people is some life experience weaved into the realities of 2026. My post is broad, b”

“Hi, as the title says I’m 18 years old and have $30,000 in savings. I’ve worked multiple jobs since I was 13 and saved as much as I could. I’m starting my senior year of high school and I know that I will have no help with paying for my college education as i have been raised by a single dad who works a minimum wage job. I also live in the middle of nowhere so when I do go to college I’m going to have to move out and take care of all my expenses. The cheapest university in my state costs 15k a y”

“I’m 20M, currently having $8,000 total savings, I know it’s nothing and that’s why I ask for suggestions. From a young age I’ve been interested in growing myself financially but doing it smart along the way and not doing reckless things, I was trying to figure out ways to earn side money along the years but it was never got to anything, but now that I’m 20 I realise I have to do something to start growing financially if I want to have some kind of financial freedom at 26-30 but I have no lead, c”

“I am 19 years old, I am in the air national guard, and working full time at a company for 14 an hour while in college and AFROTC trying to become an officer in the military and become full time guard but I just want to know any good tips anyone has picked up throughout there life, 401 Investments, Credit Cards, or military financial benefits I could get. I’m all new to this and just want to make myself comfortable so any help is appreciated 🙂 submitted by /u/BoHipp [link] [com”

“I got all the money myself for the record, I work for all my stuff. I'm willing to be a little risky with my investment. Work is just slow over the summer. Investing doesn't have to mean stocks Edit: I have like 3 CC and use them depending on the situation. One is 2% on everything, another is 6% back on fuel, another 5% on rotating categories. About 750 credit score if ther matters submitted by /u/Korndog_01 [link] [comments]”

“I (19M) took a personal finance class in my last semester of high school, so in June of this year I established several financial accounts to benefit me in the future. I'm wondering if there's anything more I can/should do to maximize the amount I make. I have a part time job where I make ~$250 biweekly if I work the min. required hours. Through them I have a 401k set up. They match up to 4% of eligible pay annually. This is worth $25.14. I have 2 checking accounts with Capital One. One”

“I have around $8000 to put into an investment account right now and gonna try to add money to it every year. I’m going into junior year of college and gonna get an accounting job in a couple years so I’ll have a lot more money to invest. What I’m wondering is what etf’s to invest in as a long term investment until I’m 65 (I’m 20 rn). This would be going into a Roth IRA. I heard a lot of just putting all my money in vt/vti but don’t know if that’s ideal or not. I’m brand new to all of this and am”

“I have around $8000 to put into an investment account right now and gonna try to add money to it every year. I’m going into junior year of college and gonna get an accounting job in a couple years so I’ll have a lot more money to invest. What I’m wondering is what etf’s to invest in as a long term investment until I’m 65 (I’m 20 rn). I heard a lot of just putting all my money in vt/vti but don’t know if that’s ideal or not. I’m brand new to all of this and am willing to go a bit riskier to make”

“i have 100k in my savings account. no investments outside of standard 401k. what's the best way to make good use of the cash for my future? 36y/o, living in nyc metro. no debt outside of my reasonable credit card balance and my car note - 450 /month. i currently rent right outside of the city. looking to grow my money safely and ideally, a set it and forget it. i'm a bit late in giving this the real time it deserves to set myself up well so want to make up for lost time. my parents were”

“So I 20M, have started a sales job and I’m making more money than I ever have, now the bar is set pretty low since I haven’t worked too many jobs. But full disclosure, I’m currently on track to hit somewhere between 80-90k a year if my sales stay on this pace. My expenses is pretty low as I live at home for now, the only thing I pay for is my car and insurance then my family’s phone bill. My situation is I’m currently investing 8% of my checks into a 401K but I need to do something for my brothe”