Government and you

Today is Election Day. This year featured more voting reminders than ever, so hopefully you cast yours. Yes, participating in democracy is important!

Financial matters are often a key topic in an election. How is the economy doing? Should we raise taxes or cut them? Where should tax money be spent?

More recently, some candidates have supported a proposal that would have a huge impact for young people: cancelling student loan debt. You might think this is a great idea! Or you might not, especially if you’ve paid back a good portion of those already. You might not be sure. But only you can form your own view.

Make your own money plans

While you’re casting your own votes and forming your own views, you’re also managing your own money. There are lots of ways to spend it, and lots of ways to save it too. Understanding all of those and figuring out what’s best for you is a challenging task. No one does it all at once or without some help, but making your own plans for your money is your literal best bet.

Will student loan debt be cancelled? Will taxes go up or down? Will the economy get better or worse? No one knows! So it’s best not to make any assumptions about what will happen or what governments might do. Take good care of your money and it will take good care of you.

And definitely vote.

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One night when my brother was in high school, there was a huge winter storm in the forecast. Many inches, maybe even feet of snow were supposed to arrive. Schools prepared to close. My brother, hearing and believing all this, did none of his homework. The next morning, guess what? No snow of course. He was busted for not doing it, but even more embarrassed for having to admit it. Who’s dumb enough to believe the weatherman?

Kind of a shame, because he was actually not dumb. And pretty good at homework.