I think the current max on an IRA is 3K per year. I think.

Is 4.4% considered good these days?

For a savings account that you can access without restriction or minimum balance, yes.

In a total change of topic - I am feeling kinda match-makery. Well not as in a romantic match, but I'm conspiring to get my mom and one of her old friends back in touch with eachother.

I had this wild idea of trying to locate this gal for the party (that is in TWO WEEKS). Her daughter owns a store in town, so I stopped in recently and was surprised to find that the daughter remembers me. Her mom is now living in Canada and would not be able to come down. But we have swapped e-mail addresses and I've asked her to be hush hush about the party.

Now if I could just get over my own petty issues and call one of my old friends who hasn't bothered to call me in months and was "unavailable" when I was in her state, I could have my own "reunion".

you Uncle is right - put some of your money in an IRA. you may hit a point where you make less money - or have more expenses - so go for it NOW. Also, buy decent furniture. and if you have wanted to do anything- learning fencing, blacksmithing, or travel - do it.

I try to sock as much away as possible so that someday if I don't have this job or want to change jobs (read: make less money), I can do it without too much financial hardship.

That's my big motivation for getting out of debt as much as possible - At some point I'd like to see DH feel freer to look at jobs that pay less, but are less likely to kill him. But, I work in public libraries, so my contribution in the $$ sense just isn't going to be enough to make that much difference.

And! It just keeps going up! Every once in a while they send you a random e-mail that says, "We just raised your rate!" It's AWESOME!

Kickass! Okay, I want to do this RIGHT NOW, but, like, are there any of those mail offers around like Fred got, where you get $25 for opening the account? I might as well get a bonus, right?

My uncle is recommending a Roth IRA, whatever that is.

Well, I think the fact that my parents paid for college probably helped.

That certainly does help, but it is just so easy to get into credit card trouble when you're young.

I try to sock as much away as possible so that someday if I don't have this job or want to change jobs (read: make less money), I can do it without too much financial hardship.

That is exactly why I have worked really hard over the past few years to rid myself of debt. I know when I start teaching, I'll have to take a pay cut and I didn't want any debt to deal with.

Roth IRA, whatever that is.

It's where you give Tim Roth your money and hope that in 30 years he gives it back.

The old IRA made you pay tax when you took the money out. The Roth, which is basically what everyone does now, makes you pay tax now. It's better in almost all situations.

My uncle is recommending a Roth IRA, whatever that is.

It is, apparantly, the bomb. You pay taxes on the money you put in it, and you don't pay any taxes on the money when you take it out! Since the point is that your money will grow in the IRA over time, by the time you retire, you'll have only paid taxes on a small percentage of the money - just what was put in, none of the interest/earnings.

I want to open one up but we're not in a place for that. And I could only rollover into a regular IRA.