A Financial Guide for 2025 College Graduates

Congratulations, graduates! Now that your march to “Pomp and Circumstance” is over, here comes the fun part: navigating your first job, setting up your retirement plan … the list goes on. This guide will help you with the many “firsts” you’ll face during this turning point in your financial lives.

How Do I Manage My Money?

Earning your own money can be exciting. Making smart, financial decisions about where those dollars go is … a little less so. You’ll likely be juggling several financial goals and responsibilities, like:

• paying down debt
• building an emergency fund
• saving for retirement

Learn more about creating a realistic budget, protecting your money, and working toward your goals with these resources.

What Are Employee Benefits and How Do They Work?

A big part of starting your first job is understanding your employee benefits, which are nonwage compensations offered by your employer in addition to your base salary or wages. This may include health insurance, paid time off, a 401(k) match, and more.

As you find yourself in a flurry of first-day jitters and paperwork, some of the questions running through your mind may be:

• Where is the best place to begin?
• Do I have to get my own insurance now?
• How much should I be saving for retirement?
• What retirement savings plans does my new employer offer?
• Am I eligible to invest in a health savings account, or will a flexible savings account be a better fit?

We have all the answers to those questions and more.

How Do I Start Investing?

Before you download a brokerage app or open up an investment account, take some time to learn the basics about investing. Undergrad may be over, but financial literacy is a lifelong course.

From the best investing books for beginners to the ins and outs of the most common investment vehicles, build your financial knowledge with these resources and insights from real-life portfolios.