Hi everyone! I want everyone to know that if you want to ask me a question about a financial issue you're having that's of personal in nature, then feel free to DM me. Being in collections, for example, would be a situation you don't want the world knowing about. I will not judge you, so don't hesitate or feel embarrassed to outreach me. Our discussion will be kept exceedingly private. If you want me to look at your credit report regarding anything about it - you can provide me a copy of it and we can go over it together. The same applies if you want me to look at say your wife's credit report, etc. I take handling of this private financial information very seriously. You can simply black out names, addresses, employer, social security numbers, or anything else you don't want me to see in order to feel comfortable in sharing - completely up to you. I will not retain the report after we finalize our discussion surrounding it.

@Havamal Here's what I think you should do. You should take advantage of your employer's 401k plan *especially* if you can put your money in mutual funds or guaranteed bonds. The choice of the two depends on your personal level of risk taking. Having your money in a mutual fund, where your money is investing in a multitude of stocks generally within the same industry, will give you better diversity and a better safety net than having your money tied up in say one or two stocks. Although baby boomers are getting older and are needing to live off their investments now - GenX and Millennials are still spending like crazy especially Millennials which will keep profits soaring for companies. Mutual funds pertaining to say Amazon and other tech companies are doing very well especially because they keep on introducing new products and services that are taking off. Also, they have research and development on other services that have the propensity to change everything, therefore, a perfect candidate to invest in for the long term. But, if you're quite the risk taker - there's always international mutual funds that have higher rates of return but can be aggressive in the short term which is why you'd need to be committed for the long haul.

The other investment I mentioned were guaranteed bonds. Those speak for themselves - they're guaranteed. These are perfect if you're not wanting to take any risk. You have a guaranteed rate of return that's obviously much lower than a mutual fund but better than a certificate of deposit or regular savings account in most cases. All in all, this is a better way to stay ahead of inflation now for when you retire.

@Deleted User This is a tough question, however, I understand exactly what you're saying. When I received by BS degree - I immediately went to work because I actually needed the money, and that was my need at that time and place. If I knew I'd by okay, then I would've continued on take the GMAT to enter a graduate program.

Speaking for myself, because I chose going to work - it DID demotivate me from continuing on for higher degrees. And I think it's that way for most people. Now, you may be able to find work that will allow you the flexibility to obtain an MBA. In conclusion, you may want to consider the GMAT as a primary focus because the information is fresh in your head AND you already have current study habits right now.....which tend to also be lost over a period of time away from schooling.

Just double checking - this is going TOWARDS Chicago, correct?

Gotcha! Good work here.

@Deleted User @Matthias Thank you gentlemen. This was a great idea. I'll get this knocked out.

@Reinhard Wolff I know I wasn't required to attend, but I sat through the New Member Orientation yesterday in order to get a feel for how it will be conducted for my own knowledge. I think this orientation will be one of the most integral aspects of integrating into IE. VERY well done - this was overdue.

That is a good slogan.