Congratulations, graduates! You made it. You’ve crossed the stage, returned the cap and gown, and now you’re staring down your first real career. It’s an exciting time, and if we’re being honest, a scary one too.

Nobody really teaches you the financial side of this transition. You go from college budgets held together with part-time jobs and dining hall meals to a real salary, real expenses, and real decisions that actually matter for your future. Here are a few financial tips to consider during this time:

Budget first. Everything else comes after.

The foundation of your financial life right now is a budget. You need to review it frequently, because everything about this season of life is changing fast. Your expenses are different than you expected, and your salary may feel like a lot until it doesn’t. Things are always more expensive than you think, and it can feel like you’re perpetually on the edge of financial collapse during this transition. That’s normal. But the answer isn’t to ignore it; it’s to look at it honestly and often.

Build the habit of saving, even if it’s small.

Inside your budget, create a savings category. The amount matters far less than the habit. It doesn’t have to be impressive right now. It just needs to exist.

Here’s why this matters: if you don’t create the habit of saving early, it’s hard to build it later. Or you’ll build it later than you should have. Time is the single greatest asset you have at this stage of life, and every month you delay starting is a month you can’t get back.

As you review your budget and find opportunities to increase what you’re saving, do it. Small amounts compound. Small habits compound even more.

If you have a surplus, open a Roth.

If your budget gives you room to invest, the first place to look is a Roth IRA. Starting one young is one of the most powerful financial moves you can make, even if contributions are modest at first.

The money you put in a Roth grows tax-free. Decades from now, when you’re drawing on it in retirement, you won’t owe a dime on those gains. That’s a benefit that’s hard to fully appreciate at 21, but it’s very real. The age you think is impossibly far away will come faster than you expect.

Chase the employer match on your 401(k).

As soon as you’re eligible for your company’s 401(k), get in. And once you’re in, make getting the full employer match your number one savings priority.

Here’s why: an employer match is free money. If your company matches 50% or 100% of your contributions up to a certain percentage of your salary, that’s an immediate return on your money that you simply cannot find anywhere else. It’s as close to a guaranteed return as anything in investing gets.

If your budget is tight and you have to choose between saving goals, prioritize the match first. Work everything else around it.

A Simple Order of Operations

If you’re just getting started and don’t know where to begin, here’s a straightforward sequence:

First, build a budget and stick to it. Second, create a savings habit. Third, contribute enough to your 401(k) to get the full employer match. Fourth, open a Roth IRA and contribute what you can. Fifth, revisit your budget regularly and increase savings as you’re able.

You don’t have to do all of this perfectly right out of the gate. What matters is starting because the hardest part of building financial health isn’t knowing what to do. It’s building the habits early enough to let time do its job.

Thank you for reading!

The Trademark Capital® Team

This material is intended for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal, accounting, tax, investment, or other professional advice. Trademark Capital’s investment strategies are built using quantitative, proprietary algorithms that are designed to identify and react to changing market conditions. However, investors should be aware that no investment strategy or risk management technique can guarantee returns or eliminate risk in any given market environment. As with all investments, Trademark Capital Management’s investment strategies are subject to risk and may lose money. The investment strategies presented are not appropriate for every investor and individual clients should review with their financial advisors the terms and conditions and risk involved with specific products or services. Due to our active risk management, our managed portfolios may underperform during bull markets. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.