How to Get Rid of the Broke Millennial Stigma

Matthew Wallaker
6 min readFeb 15, 2021

The average American millennial has a net worth of $8,000 while having $27,251 in non-mortgage consumer debt.

small jar with a few coins and a small plant
Photo by Kindel Media from Pexels

Set up an emergency fund

Setting up an emergency fund is one of the most important (and obvious) financial advice ever given. Why? Because an emergency fund turns a crisis situation into a small inconvenience.

In case you lost sleep doing financial calculations which filled you with fear and anxiety, it’s time to put those feelings to sleep.

Besides your mental health, an emergency fund serves a purpose of equal importance. It saves you from sinking into years of debt or from losing your hard-earned assets (like your car or house).

In case you encounter an unanticipated financial emergency, the emergency fund will see you through.

How much should you save?

Most financial experts advise the emergency fund should have enough money to get you through 3–6 months without any income. Take into account a period of unemployment caused by losing the job or simply quitting without having a new job as a source of income.

The emergency fund should have enough money to keep you sane, healthy, and safe.

Do not invent assets

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Matthew Wallaker

Everyone has a voice which deserves attention. So I decided to use mine.