I've been telling you this!!!

It's apparent that we are in a different stage in our society that our parents were. A different set of rules, ways of thinking and most of all...the way we conduct our finances. Some good, many bad, others-just different.

For instance, there virtually is no real retirement anymore. Yes, there is 401K which is primarily investing in stocks and this has become the norm for retirement. Go to just about any place of employment and they will explain their 401K options to you. Some employers offer additional stock options as well, but their (or your) financial backbone is going to be the 401k contributions.

I always tell everyone I know to maximize your 401K. Don't worry about how much is coming out of your check. Working a part-time job to make up the difference for a year or two will pay off, but for a couple of years throw the max in there. Additionally, starting off with the max will help you better get used to it than trying to gradually build up. And it is nicer to see your take home pay go up rather than down.

This article explains the benefits of doing this. While you may not retire from one company your 401k portfolio will allow you to retire period and live a comfortable life. And for the love of anything DO NOT borrow against your 401k! Not for several years anyway.

http://finance.yahoo.com/retirement/article/104801/The-One-Year-$1-Million-Challenge

Another piece of evidence that our society is changed: 401k is transferrable. They know most people aren't going to stay at the same job for 30 years.

I had read an article once, wish I could find it, (don't quote me on this figure) but it said on average a 30 year old male has experienced 7 career changes. Notice the wording. Not JOB, but CAREER changes. Totally new lines of work. Don't think so? Think hard about it. I know that I probably did. I started my working life bagging groceries (grocery career), then at one point I worked in the fastfood industry (foodservice career), I was in sales (sales career), I worked assembling boat trailers (assembly career), I sold guns (sales/ firearms career), I worked in law enforcement (law enforcement career), I drove trucks (driving career) and now I'm a photographer. What I do now won't ever change. I have done it alongside other careers for years.

So, there's my 7. There might even be more. I know you're reading this thinking I can't stay put, but if you go back to the time you were 15-16 years old and think about all the jobs you had and did you would be surprised.

Oh yeah, I also worked in contruction, heavy machinery and call centers/ customer service.

Here's an interesting movie that's coming out. It has nothing to do with retirement, but nonetheless, it looks appealing. http://www.expelledthemovie.com/video.php