Two years ago, she’d graduated with honors. Now, she was hiding from collection calls.
He opened a retirement calculator online. “If you put $200 a month into an S&P 500 index fund starting now, at 8% average return, by age 65 you’ll have over $600,000. Wait ten years? Half that.” Fundamentals Of Financial Planning 7th Edition Pdf
He handed her a folder. “Inside: quotes for renter’s insurance, term life ($500k), and disability insurance. You’re your biggest asset. Protect your income before you protect your portfolio.” Two years ago, she’d graduated with honors
Maya smiled. She grabbed a marker and six empty coffee cups from the break room. “If you put $200 a month into an
One evening, a junior colleague knocked on her office door. “Maya… can I ask you something? My card got declined at lunch.”
They listed her income ($3,200/month after tax) and every expense. The numbers didn’t lie: she was spending $450 a month on dining out and $600 on “miscellaneous” — a category her uncle called “the black hole of finance.”