Financial tips for 2019 graduates

Congratulations students and parents! It won’t be long before young people across the country will put on their caps and gowns to celebrate their graduations. Many graduation speakers offer advice, some based on their own life experiences. The FTC has some practical advice to offer, too.

April is Financial Literacy Month and a great time to start planning for your financial future. The FTC has a library of free consumer materials, including a blog and media room, to help you make the most of your money and avoid costly scams.

Check out consumer.gov for basic, easy-to-read tips on budgeting, getting credit, renting a place to live, dealing with identity theft, and buying a car. And if you’re looking for a job, scammers may be looking for you. Some job placement firms misrepresent their services, promote nonexistent vacancies, or charge high fees in advance for services that don’t guarantee placement.

Speaking of scams, you might be surprised to learn that, according to recently released FTC data, younger people reported losing money to fraud more often than older people. It’s what the data has been telling us for a while, but it’s hard for people to grasp. Last year, based on those who reported fraud and gave us their age, 43% of people in their 20s reported a loss to that fraud, while only 15% of people in their 70s did. Check out 10 Things You Can Do to Avoid Fraud to help stay a step ahead of the scammers.

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