Youth and Next Gen
What is happening with the people coming up next.
There Is a Legal Wage Below the Minimum and Teens Get It
Federal law lets employers pay workers under 20 just $4.25 an hour for their first 90 days. Most teens have never heard of it.
Transfer Students Lose Credits They Already Paid For
Starting at a community college can cut the cost of a degree in half. It can also cost a student a year of work if the credits do not carry...
Waiting to Build Credit Can Cost You for Years
A credit history takes time to grow, and starting late quietly raises the price of everything from apartments to car loans.
Why Do Kids Learn Languages Faster Than Adults?
Young children pick up new languages with an ease adults envy. The reason lies in how a growing brain is wired for sound and for risk.
Why Follow Your Passion Is Weak Career Advice
Follow your passion sounds inspiring and sets many young people up to feel lost. Passion tends to grow from getting good at something, not...
Why Your First Salary Follows You for 40 Years
The pay you accept at your first real job sets the base for everything after. A small gap early can grow into a fortune over a full career.
Skipping the 401k Match Leaves Free Money Behind
The employer match on your first retirement plan is free money and an instant return. Skipping it in your twenties quietly costs you the...
What Really Drives Up a Teen Driver's Insurance
A new driver's insurance bill can cost more than the car. The reason is not a scam, it is math, and there are real ways to bring the number...
What Really Comes Out of a Teen's First Paycheck
The first paycheck is always smaller than the hours-times-wage math suggests. Here is exactly what comes out, why, and the door that first...
What Teens Lose When They Skip the Summer Job
Fewer teenagers work than a generation ago. The paycheck is the smallest part of what they miss.
4 Skills Schools Still Don't Teach You Before Graduation
You can graduate with honors and still not know how to file taxes or read a credit score. Here are four skills you will need that most...
The Case for a Gap Year Before College
Rushing from high school straight into college is treated as the safe path. For many students, a well planned year off leads to better...
Graduating in a Recession Can Cost You for a Decade
The year you finish school can shape your paycheck for years. Here is what the research shows, and how young workers can push back against...
The Amendment That Lowered the Voting Age to 18
The voting age was 21 for most of American history. Here is how it dropped to 18 and why.
Why a Teenager's First Paycheck Is Worth More Than It Looks
A teenager's first paycheck is the most powerful money they will ever earn. The math of starting early beats starting later by more than...
Adulthood Starts at 18? The Brain Says Otherwise
The law calls 18 the start of adulthood, but brain science says the part that handles judgment keeps maturing for years after.
Stop Telling Kids to Follow Their Passion
The advice sounds kind, but it sets young people up to quit when things get hard. Passion tends to grow from skill, not the other way...
Every Generation Is Wrong About the Next One
Older adults have complained that young people are lazy and rude for thousands of years. Research suggests the complaint says more about...
Growing Up With Screens Did Not Make Gen Z Tech Experts
The idea that young people are naturally skilled with technology falls apart on contact. Knowing how to use apps is not the same as...
One Sport, Year Round: 36% More Serious Injuries for Kids
The push to pick one sport early is supposed to build an edge. The research shows it often builds injuries and burnout instead.
What's at Stake as Gen Z Skips the Driver's License
Far fewer teens get a license at sixteen than a generation ago. The shift is bigger than convenience, and it quietly reshapes independence,...
Why Do Teenagers Take So Many Risks?
The teenage brain is not reckless by accident. It is wired in a way that pushes toward risk for reasons that once kept us alive.
Why Are Teenagers Wired to Stay Up So Late?
A teenager's body clock really does shift later during puberty, and it collides head on with an early school bell.
What Student Loan Interest Really Costs After You Graduate
Student loan interest starts quietly and compounds in ways most graduates never see coming. Understanding how it works early can save a...