Grads: TAKE CHARGE™!

10 things the Class of 2010 must do right now

For the Class of 2010, the final round of final exams might be over, or nearly so, but that doesn't mean that it's time to party, party, party. This free Special Report from QwikSmarts® outlines 10 things you need to do right now (or at least within a month of graduation) to truly take charge of your future and set yourself up for success.

Take this super-fast five-question survey about what concerns you about landing your first job, then download the free Special Report: 10 Things the College Class of 2010 Must Do Right Now to Take Charge of Their Future (plus a few more to boost your bank account).

Roommate finances: simplified

One of the major stress factors in roommate situations is dividing up rent, utilities, and other common expenses equitably. Do you know who William is? He' keeps track of the agreements between roommates, collects monies from each, and pays the rent and bills. What a great guy!

Check out William and his relationship-saving service here.

#TripleTuesday Tweets: Save ten percent

Financial advice is coming at you from all sides these days, but one piece of advice that has never grown old is to save ten percent of your take-home pay each and every month. At first, that ten percent will be stocking your emergency fund--and you don't need a reminder of how often people are dipping into those these days. Once you have six months' of living expenses in that fund, keep taking that 10% out of each paycheck and begin investing for your future (retirement, your own business, a home).

#TripleTuesday Tweets: Honor your commitments

No one wants to work with someone who doesn't honor their commitments. Whether you're promised to turn in an assignment to your boss on a certain day, to touch base with a mentor by email, or to transfer a small sum to your savings account on the first of each month...do it! You don't want to end up having a reputation for not following through--that can be deadly to your career (and maybe your finances).

Earn part-time money while job searching

This article has the title "20 Great Websites To Earn Part-time Money While Working In College" but if you've graduated and are still looking for a full-time job, you can use the same advice to fill in the financial gap until you land a regular paycheck.

Read the entire article on GetDegrees here.

Going into hock for a graduate degree

Students today, debt slaves forever--After taking out tens of thousands of dollars in loans for college, will grads really find brighter futures on the other side of those mountains of debt?

Read the entire article on MSN Money here.

Saving money made easy

With setting up your first apartment, getting a professional wardrobe, and paying on student loans, it seems impossible to save any money from that first, surprisingly-small paycheck after graduation. But here's a pain-free way to save money every time you shop. Saving this way could end up saving your backside some day.

Read the entire article on Examiner.com here.

Your credit score: will it haunt you or help you?

Getting a good grade point average in school is great, but after graduation, who really cares? Now, your credit score is another matter entirely. That score will stick with you for a lifetime and can mean the difference between getting the lowest rates available anywhere or shelling out thousands, even tens of thousands, more dollars than you really need to.

This site will not give you an official credit score, but to use it as a starting place to see if you need improvement is a good idea.

Find bargains fast on Twitter!

Hey, when you're fresh out of school, every penny counts. Bargains are fun to find and it can be thrilling to get in on a great deal before it expires. Twitter is the new place to find the bargains that will save you money (or even get you something for free) in real time...before the looming expiration date.

Read the entire article on MSN Money here.

Exploring your career options

If you're not quite sure 'what you want to be when you grow up,' I just found a great resource for you at GetDegrees.com. Check out the Career & Job Profiles listed in the left-hand column as well as Scholarly Articles.