When you’re in school the thought of having money – any money – is usually a laughable novelty. What money you do have is usually spent on late night pizzas and scraping up rent. Then when you get out of school and you get your first “real job” where you actually are bringing in a decent paycheck that money goes towards acquiring all the things you couldn’t buy in college. Suddenly you can afford things – you don’t have to shop the clearance rack or order off the dollar menu. Rarely do young, aspiring professionals think about planning their finances because the thought of investing money or saving a portion each month doesn’t seem as important as buying your first brand new car, or closing on your first house. However when you’re young is the perfect time to get familiar with financial planning, and can be done rather easily and in ways you may not have thought of before.

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This is the sixth article of the A-B-C's of credit and debt. Today is F for Free advice.

If you can get something for free, you should do it, right?

Well that all depends. Free beer - that sounds great! But a free puppy - well, that could be lots of fun. And it could be LOTS of work and cost you lots of money! It all depends on which one you end up with more of - fun or work. So, free isn't always great. And free isn't always free.

When it comes to financial advice, there's free ADVICE. And then there's FREE advice. Big difference!

There's been a lot of talk recently about the pre-paid debit card from financial celebrity Suze Orman. That's what got me thinking about this entire free advice thing. Let me say for the record that I'm not opposed to any of these financial "experts" you see on TV. They all have their areas of expertise. And I'm sure most of what they say is good, honest advice.


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This is the fifth article of the A-B-C's of credit and debt. Today is E for Empower.

So what is the reason for your money problems? So many people these days find it easy to blame something or someone other than themselves. "It's not my fault" they'll say. It's just so much easier to...

Blame your boss.
It's not your fault you didn't get that raise. Or work crappy hours. It's your boss's fault. They hold you back. They treat you poorly. Someone else gets the good hours, the promotions, the nice office. You, well you get the leftovers.

Blame the government.
Taxes are way too high. The Democrats don't know what they are doing. The leaders in your town and state stink too, right? If only they knew what it was like to be the little guy, the person who works hard and never gets ahead.

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This is the fourth article of the A-B-C's of credit and debt. Today is D for Don't.

Who do you turn to for money advice?

• A friend in the financial industry?
  
• Late night TV shows on money?
  
• Newspapers (online or print) like the Wall Street Journal or New York Times?
  
• Websites like MSM Money?
  
• Financial bloggers who have some real-world experience?
  
• Nobody - you learn for yourself?

When it comes to debt, it seems like EVERYONE has an opinion! Well, you know the old saying about opinions, right?

"Opinions are like a#$%^@#$, everyone has one..."

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Recently, renowned NYU professor and activist Andrew Ross encouraged students to sign a petition promising to default on their student loans in solidarity against rising student debt. Associated in part with Occupy Wall Street, Ross claimed that if enough students defaulted together, it could meet the protestors’ ostensible demands of across-the-board student debt relief, free education, and other such cosmic improbabilities. If Ross understood for just a second what would actually occur if any graduate forewent their legal contract to repay their loans, maybe he would think twice about encouraging others to destroy their financial futures. For those not in the know, there are quite a few consequences when you default on your student loans. You essentially run the risk of:

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What would winning the all expenses paid trip to Affiliate Summit West mean to me?

First of all, I've been doing affiliate marketing for nearly 10 years...and I've yet to "hit the big time" and be able to run my business full time. Sure, I've had some decent years. And I've had some bad ones (this one is closer to bad than decent). So hopefully this would give me that little extra push to get over the top.

Second, I'm not just some marketer pushing a bunch of junk. The sites I build are based on lessons I've learned, mostly the hard way. So I share those lessons, and the resources I've used, and in the process build a business around them. I'd love to be able to reach more people and help them get out of debt, buy their first house, or fix their back problems.

Third, I'm an eager student. For many years I sat alone and tried to build my business. Now, I'm focusing on building partnerships and learning from those who know what they are talking about (constantly buying the newest "get rich quick" program is definitely NOT the way to do this). So I would truly appreciate the opportunity to schmooze with the best affiliate marketers, and maybe even share a tip or two I've learned through the years.

Thanks for the opportunity, and good luck to whoever wins!