Becoming an entrepreneur is one of the most rewarding—and terrifying—things you’ll ever do. I started my own business, a business-planning software company initially based in Palo Alto, California, three years after graduating from business school. I’ve succeeded through several decades, but it wasn’t always easy given that I struggled with student loan and mortgage payments, and took care of my family at the same time. But today, I’m financially secure, my business is healthy, and I employ more than 60 people at our new location in Eugene, Oregon. Because I’ve dealt with startups and entrepreneurs for a long time, I’m well equipped to outline what you can expect if you’re planning to start your own business.

B-school has given other entrepreneurs exactly what it gave me: business fundamentals, including basic finance, marketing, and administration. An MBA program also teaches you how to plan and, most importantly, how to understand cash flow. But what school doesn’t teach you is how to wade through the entrepreneur clichés to get to the unvarnished truth.

Regardless of your opinion of President Trump, his administration, and the infighting in Washington, times like these present real financial challenges to Americans. Are we in for higher inflation or another recession? What will happen to interest rates? Will unemployment grow or shrink?

Everyone is feeling this uncertainty, particularly young people who are making investment decisions for the first time. Here are a few ways to take control of your money, and avoid making some common money mistakes.

A Weeklong Campaign, Presented by SoFi, to Help Americans Define Their Value and Get What They’re Worth

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. —  May 2, 2017 — Americans deserve a raise, but they don’t know how to get one. That’s especially true of the youngest college-educated professionals, who also bear record levels of student debt. To change this, SoFi is presenting Raise Week starting May 15, a week of online education, in-person events around the country, and personal career coaching to help people get what they’re worth.

Economic data and survey analysis of Americans paint a large-scale problem in compensation:

• U.S. companies are planning to boost pay in 2017 by around 3% on average (the same as in 2015 and 2016), but economists expect inflation of 2.3%, reflecting a downward trend in real wage growth;
• According to a recent SoFi survey, 50% of young, college-educated professionals did not negotiate salary for their current or new jobs; and,
• 54% of that same survey group said they don’t know their market value.

Starting May 15, SoFi’s Career team will make available a specially crafted online series on how to understand, communicate, and claim your workplace value, including inspirational stories from key career influencers who rose to the top in their respective fields.

SoFi will also host a series of hands-on events around the country in eight major cities to provide education and coaching on how to ask for a raise, how to ask for non-monetary benefits, how to know when it’s time to change jobs or industries, how managers can best handle advancement conversations, and more. The events are in:

• May 15: Atlanta; New York City
• May 16: San Francisco; Washington, DC
• May 17: Chicago; Seattle
• May 18: Houston; Los Angeles

“As a personal finance company, one of the best things we can do to help people manage money is to help them earn more of it,” said Mike Cagney, co-founder, chairman, and chief executive officer of SoFi. “People have a hard time navigating their compensation, which is why we have a Career Advisory team dedicated to our members and are presenting Raise Week to the public.”

About SoFi

SoFi is a new kind of finance company taking a radical approach to lending and wealth management. From unprecedented products and tools to faster service and open conversations, we’re all about helping our members get ahead and find success. Whether they’re looking to buy a home, save money on student loans, ascend in their careers, or invest in the future, the SoFi community works to empower our members to accomplish the goals they set and achieve financial greatness as a result.

For press inquiries:

Danika Owsley

[email protected]

929.341.0250

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I left college with about $35-$45K in student loan debt. But my biggest loan—which was originally around $18K—had accrued so much interest, that even after paying the minimum for five years, it was actually at a little more than $20K. By the time it hit that amount, my husband and I realized we had to do something drastic to pay it off once and for all.