Thoughts of an Older Millennial

I'm a Millennial. I'm an older Millennial, but a Millennial none the less. Loved and spoiled by my parents, unused degrees, high student loan debt, no real savings and no retirement plan. Just a young (or somewhat young), adult barely getting by, trying to find their way in the world. I'm a part of the technology boom and education era; where technology changed the way we think and communicate, and going to school to get a degree and a good job was the plan. The problem with that is that it was the only plan. Yes, I was told to save money. "Always pay yourself" my mother would say. Of course, like most Millennials, I didn't exactly heed that advice. I wasn't capable of seeing the big picture. Unfortunately, even the concept of saving could not prepare me for what was and is to come.=

I'm at an age now where my future weighs heavily on my mind. Like most people, I don’t want to work for the rest of my life. I want to retire, travel and enjoy my senior days. A reasonable concept you would think yet so hard to achieve just working a 9-5, as many of our parents have done. They have pensions, Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security benefits to help sustain them. Sounds great right? Well, I’ve been in my current position for less than a year, word around town is that Millennials cannot count on Medicare, Medicaid or Social Security and the stock market is not exactly a trustworthy place in my opinion. One thing I know for sure is the path I've chosen has not done anything to prepare me for the future I want for myself. I could start saving which would be great, but that will not sustain me through retirement. As I watch the luxuries of the so called "American Dream" become a distant memory, I'm left with the task of researching ways to invest and plan for my future.

The world of investment is a big and scary place. There's so much to learn in so little time and scams are around every corner. What to do, how to do it and with whom to do it with is the question. The one thing, in my opinion, I've noticed is people pushing the concept that changing your mindset is the key to your financial freedom. I've also noticed, in my opinion, that with that concept in mind, tons of self-help and life coach entrepreneurs have emerged. I honestly find this disturbing. Maybe I watch too much TV, but I feel the moment the world starts relying on self-made, self-helpers to guide them through life, the closer we become to becoming the mindless, chip-in-arm drones you see in the movies. That's dedicated not the life I want to live and I know there's got to be a better way to become financially stable for the future.

I don't have the answer but I know that I have a long road ahead to find the real truth of it all. In the meantime, I'll continue to read and watch the multitudes of books, blogs and videos available in an attempt to uncover my version of the truth. While I feel most these things are crap, but there's always a lesson to be learned from someone else's story. If you can sort through the sales pitch you’ll find a wealth of information regarding failure and mistakes. It is within those stories where I feel the truth lies and that is where I hope to find the answers I seek to improve my way of life. What a crazy world this has become! Good luck to my fellow Millennials and to all generations yet to come.