Before you start thinking about putting your money in a Roth IRA (which is an easy way to start investing for your future), you should make sure to do two things: 1) Pay off your credit card debt if you have any, and 2) Make sure you have an emergency fund in place by setting aside money in a high yield savings account.

Why you need to know this: If you ever lose your job, or find yourself in some sort of other financial emergency, you'll need some cash to get you through the bad times.