So what do you do? Answer: Have a technology upgrade plan that accounts for everyone and stays current with acceptable standards in technology. The details of this will vary from company to company but having this will help alleviate issues and produce happy productive employees. Technology is important to Gen Y and being stuck using outdated technology is more than just an annoyance; it can be seen as a sign of a mismanaged company. For those of us who work in the technology industry, staying current is paramount. Tech companies that don’t keep up risk losing talented young employees because spending too much time with outdated technology can be detrimental to their careers.

– Tim Ferro

There is a large and growing number of blogs, articles, and discussions about how Gen Y is “not loyal” and “diva like”. There is much less going on about how to address the situation. Most of the conversations are being had by older generations and they don’t know what to do about it; they just complain. I am here to tell you that what Gen Y wants is not too dissimilar from what most employees want; we just have the fortitude to demand it. If we don’t get treated as we believe we deserve, we leave and go looking for another company that will be better. This is not “disloyal”, it is smart career building. Who wouldn’t want to work at a better company?

Keep checking back for more blog posts about how you can “Gen Y-ify” you company and your office. Leave comments with ideas and suggestions for future posts!

– Tim Ferro

“Microsoft Tuesday revealed Windows 7 at its annual Professional Developers Conference (PDC) in Los Angeles. Windows 7 is designed to replace Windows Vista as the main operating system for Windows-based PC users.

With Apple’s OS X Snow Leopard also under development, we met up with Ian Moulster, Windows Live Commercial Lead for Microsoft to talk through some of Microsoft’s key ideas and discover what the next-generation of operating systems aim to offer both Mac and PC users.” - Source

Season Premier Sunday September 28 10PM EST.

Though I have been experiencing catharsis since I put in my two weeks’ notice, I have also been completely unmotivated to blog. Worse, when I want to blog I had nothing that would spark my interest. I am not one of the bloggers that does this often and has ways to break through this kind of thing, though sometimes I wish I was. I am a “blogs when I feel inspired” type of blogger. This is great when I am inspired, but horrible when I am not “feeling it”.

I finally forced myself to write today and totally scrapped my first 2 attempts at a post. I know that is one of the ways to fight writer’s block but it is my last resort. Does anyone have any other ideas about how to break out of this funk that you would specifically recommend to “inspiration needing bloggers” like myself?

This post is helping to get back into it but I definitely need a muse or some catalyst to help this process along. Leave a comment and help me out.

– Tim Ferro 

The biggest issue is that you don’t know that you don’t know. Let me explain. In college I took both Macro and Micro Economics. Neither of these classes prepared me for what I would experience post graduation financially. There was not a single class during my entire education process that talked about personal finances, mortgages, 401ks, or anything else that I or Gen Y would encounter. There is no class offered called “How to live paycheck to paycheck” for seniors in college, but there should be.

It is an injustice to Gen Y and future generations that they are required to take a lab science in college, like “The Sea Around Us”, but not be required to take one personal finance class. Which one of these two classes do you think would be more useful?

The good news is there seems to be a movement toward educating today’s youth, but for those that have already graduated you need to start learning these lessons on your own. Read blogs, watch TV, read books, talk to friends and family. Learn from your own and other peoples’ mistakes.

– Tim Ferro

It’s a Kanye West kinda day…

I just recently switched careers, two college friends are getting married this summer and my college roommate – and his wife – just bought a house.

Sounds like Of a Revolution is growing up, too.

Many, many O.A.R. fans will undoubtedly appreciate the new tunes on “All Sides,” but this one wishes they were as catchy and fun as their previous records.

Gone are the days of Crazy Games of Poker, there are no more road trips that left About an Hour Ago and no one is talking to Mr. Brown anymore.

Of A Revolution has finished the revolt, left the frat parties completely behind and wrote songs songs about talking with wives and than crafting party anthems for another generation of college kids.

“All Sides,” O.A.R.’s second post-college album, takes the mellow love sing vibe ten times further than the previous record, “Stories of a Stranger.”

“Stranger” was full of the acoustic-reggae numbers that made the band sound unique and popular from 1999-2003, but there is not one head-nodding chorus to be found in the new record.

The new sound is mature, that’s for sure, but it sounds more like a baby-boomer’s idea of mature and not a band four years out of a major party school like Ohio State.

It’s stated clearly in “What is Mine” when (singer) says the post-Ohio State craziness has taken its toll: “Seen the big show a thousand times/ Got to get back what is mine.”

Maybe the guys should leave Virgin Fest and massive summer tours behind and stick with college arenas.

“This Town” and “Try Me” harken back to the better parts of “Stranger,” but everything else is comprised of whispering to their wives and fondly recalling the party days the band clearly wants to leave behind.

There’s almost nothing left of the up-and-down, nod your head tunes like “Risen.” Songs like “Something Coming Over” harkens back to the days when they recorded the successful and popular live album “Any Time Now.”

That’s it. One song.

The guys are also better musicians on this record than in the past. There are genuine lead lines to hum along with and melodies flow from saxophones and guitars. It’s a far departure from your half-drunk college roommate strumming through “Black Rock” and sounding exactly like the band that recorded the number.

However, it is a shame that the guys haven’t realized that you can still have fun in your old(er) age.

O.A.R. “All Sides”
3 out of 5 crazy games of poker

The first thing you need to do is open up a Roth IRA or Traditional IRA. Here is the hard part. Only contribute the minimum about to your 401k to apply for the maximum about of your employer matching. Then take the difference and put that into your IRA account. The scary part of this is now you are in charge of your retirement funds. The great news is that you are free to invest anywhere you want in the market and will be paying less fees that you would with your 401k. Yes, you probably don’t notice, but your 401k has fees associated with it. Most don’t notice these fees because when you get your quarterly report from your 401k, they report your total gains or losses including their fees.

Finally, sign up for a high interest savings account, such as ING, to keep the bulk of your savings. There is no reason to gain a fraction of a percent interest with traditional banks. Start building your 3 months’ salary nest egg in a much higher yielding account.

So to recap, get the maximum out of your employer’s 401k matching program, contribute to an IRA, and start saving in a high yield savings account, and start enjoying financial success!

– Tim Ferro