How much you earn at the first job, with whom you share your expenses, how early you start to invest or how to choose an employer. They are seemingly trivial decisions, but they can make the difference between long -term stability and financial insecurity, I attract the attention of the specialists.
Photo source: Shutterstock
In an article published in the Financial Times in the Mastering Money program, the British journalist Calaer Barrett explains that there are five key impacts on the financial life of young people: life partner, career, early investments, the choice of employer and managing daily expenses. “In some respects it would be easier to suggest 50 decisions”, she writes, but these five have the force to set the direction for the next 30 years.
Who is your partner
“I do not say that you should be an opportunistic, but finding someone who shares the same values and financial goals is the foundation of a solid partnership.”notes Căer Barrett. Beyond the jokes about “Gold Diggers”, the reality is that discussions about money are one of the main divorce factors. From the first meetings, how you divide the payment note or how you plan the common expenses can anticipate the stability of the relationship.
What career you choose
Few high school graduates or students raise the problem of the potential to win when choosing their professional path. “It should be part of the decision -making process”, Barrett says, recalling that life's income can vary enormously between domains. In addition, artificial intelligence is already changing the labor market, and skills must be constantly updated. The career is no longer “a straight line”, but a route with permanent adaptations.
How quickly do you start investing
If you allow yourself a subscription to Netflix, you can afford and set aside a small amount for investments. “Time is the biggest ally of the investor”, emphasizes this. Even reduced amounts, invested monthly, can generate large long -term earnings through the effect of composition. The earlier you start, the greater the “snowballs” of the money becomes.
Who is your employer
It is not just a salary, but also about pension contributions and extra-salarial benefits. Some companies in the West end up paying two -digit contributions to the pension plans, while the employees just have to add a percentage of the salary. “I calculated that the decision not to contribute to the pension from my first job cost me 62,000 pounds”, writes the journalist ft.
We recall that in the UK and other western countries, employers are obliged to offer a “workplace pension scheme” since the first job; Basically, a saving plan for the pension where both the company and the employee contribute monthly. It is different from Romania, where at the first job you enter directly into the Mandatory Pillar II, but the employer does not make you a separate offer of additional pension.
How do you manage your daily expenses
Perhaps the most banal, but it's a decisive choice: do not spend more than you win. Credit on card, impulsive shopping or “buy now, pay later” schemes become traps for many young people. An example: a debt of 3,000 pounds at 21, paid only with minimal rates, turns into a burden that follows you up to 50 years.
Romania, between temptations of consumption and lack of financial education
If in the West discussions about Dei (diversity, equity & inclusion) Or about contributions to private pensions are already on the agenda, in Romania 2025 the reality is different. Corina Petcu Nan, HR specialist, explains for the truth that young Romanian people remain focused on the present, not long -term financial strategies.
“From my experience of HR, I think that young Romanian people are at the beginning of the road when it comes to looking at financial decisions as something strategic, not just immediately. In interviews, I notice that the first question remains the salary, which is natural, but too few asks for long -term benefits: private pension, saving programs, training.is the specialist HR.
She adds that differences between employers can be huge: “Some companies offer only the legal minimum, others have packages that can radically change the financial future of an employee. Unfortunately, many young people choose the job only on the immediate criterion and do not see that, in the long term, these differences in contributions or benefits can mean tens of thousands of euros.”
Another risk for the Z generation: consumption temptations and easy access to lending. “From fast loans to “buy now, you pay later”, there are solutions that give the impression of freedom, but bring constant pressure. It is difficult to build a stable future if the first financial decisions already put you in debt ”, draws the attention of Corina Petcu Nan.
On the other hand, there is also a major advantage: access to digital tools. “There are applications that help you save or invest automatically, but few use them disciplined. That's why, in HR, we try to introduce internal financial education programs, just to understand the value of today's decisions,” she adds.
Decisions that can no longer be postponed
Therefore, the financial decisions taken at 20 are the ones that make the difference between independence and financial addiction, later.
“If I were to send a message, it would be this: think about your financial future with the same seriousness with which you choose your career. Because the choice of employer, how you spend and save, are just as decisive as the diploma you get or the field in which you enter. And in 2025, when the technology and the cost of life change,” The HR specialist concludes.
