Originally Posted by
Cory
This closely describes me. I'm 32, a mortgage and one very small car payment that I have the ability to pay off anytime. But, I'm pretty risk adverse about money thus far in life. I have never had a credit card, but my wife and I recognize the need for one at some point for additional security and credit. I strongly perfer paying outright instead of over time.
But, the real kicker is investments. They've been discussed on the forum by intelligent and reasonable folks a few times, and I'm still mostly lost. I was homeschooled, and the curriculum talked about household budgets, interest rates on loans, simple nterest... but investing for retirement was absent. I now years later get the gist of compound interest and Roth IRAs, though I have neither.
Stuff that I was never taught, even in college micro and macro economics, was stocks and bonds. They were de jure part of the classes, but not de facto. What they are was talked about but how to properly use them wasn't really. And trying to find a reliable source on basic stock market stuff in the internet age is tough... lots of shills pushing an angle but hard to find information that will help you learn. Every asshole with a Robinhood account after the gamestop thing made a guide course they shill.
I'm likely going to be homeschooling my son starting next year. He isn't ready for that stuff yet (We're excited about learning to multiply!) But I hope to help him learn it. Probably means I'm going to have to teach myself about it as well. I wouldnt trust my local school to make sure understands how a piggy bank works. Never mind money.