College

As part of the changes you’re gearing up for in the months after you graduate, you’re poised to enter the working world as a long-term employee, perhaps for the first time in your life. As you prepare for this transition, you might have dollar signs dancing in your head while you dream of what you’re going to do with your first paycheck.

Before you start planning a one-in-each-color shopping spree at the mall or a weekend in Vegas, check out our list of responsible things to do with your first paycheck.

College is not just about partying and breaking all the rules your parents subjected you to while you were growing up … It’s also about, you know, preparing for your future and all that.

Once you leave college and enter the “real world,” you are going to quickly realize there is something really important you need to develop: good credit.

Leaving college often means the start of a new job, student loan debt to pay off, new living arrangements to pay for and other new expenses to cover. All of this means your finances will likely need an overhaul. It’s time to create your post-college budget.

Building good financial habits during college can set the stage for a secure and successful financial future. Let’s take a look at some tips that can help you navigate your finances successfully throughout your years in college.