Core Insights - The article emphasizes the importance of basic personal money management strategies to build wealth, including improving credit scores, developing saving habits, and enhancing financial literacy [1] Group 1: Credit Management - Suze Orman advises individuals to tackle credit card debt by requesting lower interest rates from issuers, noting that the average credit card interest rate is around 22% [3] - She suggests exploring balance transfer deals that may offer zero-interest rates for 12 to 18 months, allowing individuals to pay off their balances without accruing interest [4] Group 2: Emergency Fund - Orman recommends establishing an emergency fund that can cover up to 12 months of living costs to help withstand financial hardships [5] Group 3: Financial Planning - Creating a financial action plan is crucial, which includes paying off credit card debt and improving FICO scores before developing spending, saving, and retirement strategies [6] - The spending action plan involves categorizing expenses into wants and needs, eliminating unnecessary wants if savings are insufficient or debt is high [7] Group 4: Savings Automation - Automating savings is recommended as a proven method to stay committed to savings goals [9]

Paychecks aren’t just numbers — they’re little snapshots of where we are in life. They reflect the effort we put in, the industries we work in, and even the bigger economic trends shaping our world. For millennials, those numbers have always been a source of curiosity (and sometimes debate). They’ve navigated quite a few financial ups and downs — graduating into recessions, weathering rapid changes in the job market and adapting to everything from remote work to side hustles. Learn More: What Class Do Yo ...