Don't let college anxiety rush you into a financial mistake that could haunt you for years. This Life Kit episode lays out the do's and don'ts of paying for college so that you don't have to mortgage your future before you get there.
Here's what to remember:
- Consider attending community college before transferring to a more expensive four-year school.
- Don't let a school's high price deter you — you may only have to pay a fraction of the advertised price.
- The FAFSA form is the gatekeeper to most student financial aid, so don't put it off.
- Find free money, from federal Pell Grants to college-based aid to scholarships for left-handed tuba players.
- If you or your parents have to borrow beyond federal student lending limits, the degree might not be worth the debt.
- Relax! You don't have to attend an elite school to be happy.

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You've taken the leap and enrolled in college! But money issues don't end when you accept your financial aid. Paying your way through school can be stressful, but lots of folks have made it work and they have advice for how you, too, can navigate your years in college.
Here's what to remember:
- Find out what resources your college offers for students — you may have to do some digging.
- It's OK to get a job, but try to find one that's related to what you want to do.
- Make a budget. And don't miss out on that free food!
- When being thrifty isn't enough and you have no more hours for a job, talk to the financial aid office about taking out small federal loans.
- Don't be afraid to ask for help.
- Take care of yourself. You've made it to college: You belong there!

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Paying off student loans can be a financial nightmare. But if you know how to navigate the system, you can find a payment plan that's more affordable. Plus, if you qualify for loan forgiveness, you might get tens of thousands of dollars of debt wiped out.
Here's what to remember:
- Download a list of all your federal loans.
- If you get an income-driven repayment plan, stay in it!
- Don't trust your loan servicer. Do the research, find your payment plan and get it in writing.
- Take a personal day or make a date with a friend to tackle student-loan paperwork.
- Consider a full frontal assault on your loans to pay them down quickly.
- Loan consolidation or refinancing might make sense for you, but might also lead to financial disaster.

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If you use credit cards in a intentional way, you can free up some valuable perks. We geek out on strategies to make credit cards work for you.

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Don't get caught in a cycle of unnecessary overdraft fees, credit card interest and high-cost loans. A few simple tools can help you hold onto those hard-earned dollars.

Here's what to remember:
- Automation is your friend. Set your bills on autopay.
- Overdraft protection is deceptive. Link your checking account to a savings account to avoid overdraft fees.
- Set up a buffer savings account with automatic deposits.
- Don't use credit cards for emergency spending.
- If you do have an emergency, try asking your employer for your already-earned wages.
- Balance transfer checks can help with high-interest debt, but read the fine print.

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To many, it's a dreaded task: making a budget to keep track of money. Guess what? You can do it, and we show you some tools that can help — maybe even make it fun. The founder of the popular budgeting software You Need A Budget tells us how to track your spending.

Here's what to remember:
- Don't budget just because you should: Set a goal.
- Leverage anxiety from a life change and turn it into motivation.
- Follow the 50-30-20 method.
- Use the power of scarcity.
- A roommate is worth 1,000 coffees.
- Find the budgeting technique that works for you. Here's a worksheet to get you started: https://bit.ly/2umlqex.

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We help you understand whether you need an adviser, and if you do want one, how to find someone who will act in your best interest.

Here's what to remember:
- Many people don't need to pay for financial advice.
- Use a "fee-only" adviser, not a "fee-based" adviser.
- Consider low-cost options like robo-advisers or Vanguard.
- You might need to break up with your adviser — but you can still be friends.
- Two online resources can help you find an adviser: NAPFA and Kent on Money.

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Investing doesn't have to be hard. We explain how to grow a nice nest egg and avoid that four-letter word that starts with F ... fees.

Here's what to remember:
- Don't pick your own stocks.
- Don't sell stocks if the market crashes.
- Diversify your portfolio.
- Don't pay too much in fees.
- Invest in index funds, not actively managed funds.
- Rebalance your portfolio every year — then leave it alone.

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If you're not good at saving money, it's not your fault: Humans are hard-wired to focus on the present. But there's a way to beat evolution and build for your future.

Here's what to remember:
- Make savings automatic.
- Save, even if you have student loans.
- Participate in your employer's matching plan.
- Reward yourself for saving.
- Envision your future self.
- Start saving young.


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Who should get to keep secrets, and who should demand to know them? In this hour, TED speakers talk about the damage secrets can do, and the shifting roles we play when we keep, or share them. In a special updated interview, Global Witness co-founder Charmian Gooch explains how secrecy and corruption have changed in the five years since she gave her TED talk. Other guests from the original 2015 episode include PostSecret founder Frank Warren, equality advocate Ash Beckham, and journalist Glenn Greenwald.