We are all powerless as children, and money looms so powerfully... we don't grow up to claim our financial power until we look money directly in the eye, face our fears, and claim that power back.

The most important loan to pay is your student loan. It's more important than your mortgage, car and credit card payments. You cannot discharge student loan debt in the majority of cases.

Imagine you waking up tomorrow and you can't get a bank account; you can't get a credit union account. Everything has gone away and you're now living in poverty.

People first, then money, then things.

We tend to focus on assets and forget about debts. Financial security requires facing up to the big picture: assets minus debts.

If you have a 50 percent match and you get in trouble financially, you can either withdraw money as a loan, or withdraw the 50 percent match. If you take it out, you have to pay taxes on it, but you still come out ahead.

If you're going to live in the house make it your goal to just pay off your mortgage.