The most compelling stories came from those who avoided debt altogether. A 20-year-old certified nursing assistant making about $8,000 monthly successfully stayed debt-free, paid $20,000 in full for a used car, and bought a house at age 20 in Florida. The secret? Hard work, talent, and living below her means while saving aggressively.

Katherine Peach For a large majority of Americans, being financially successful means being debt-free. About 3 in 4 U.S. adults (74%) now say being debt-free is a key part of how they define financial success,

Studies show that people from historically disadvantaged communities, especially the Black community, struggle with obtaining and retaining wealth in America. The financial disparities have only worsened following the pandemic. According to 2020 census ...

Rebecca Rosenberg has 10+ years of experience as a writer and content strategist. She has written dozens of articles on retirement, financial planning, business, tech, and more. Rebecca has a master’s from the University of Texas at Austin and a bachelor ...