I get so frustrated when people tell me it's unrealistic to create an eight-month emergency savings fund, or have money saved for a home down payment, or pay off their $5,000 credit card balance.

Ignore the annual percentage rate when shopping for a mortgage.

Never cosign a loan. Once you have cosigned, you cannot get out of it - even on your deathbed.

After you marry, every asset either of you acquires is jointly held. That's why you both need to be in sync on your long-term financial goals, from paying off the mortgage to putting away for retirement. Ideally, you should talk about all this before you wed. If you don't, you can end up deeply frustrated and financially spent.

At the end of your life, you cannot take a penny with you. So what is the object of money if you can't take it with you?

Learn how to prioritize all your debt. And did you know student loan debt is the most dangerous debt any of us can have?

I am a big believer that orderliness begets wealth.