As students leave college - already weighed down by the burden of student loans to repay - and enter the working world with all of its financial and legal traps and temptations, it is more important than ever that they understand the most important facts of personal finance and employment rights. This guide is for young people attending higher education institutions or starting work for the first time. Many young people have little or no idea about basic financial and related matters, such as how credit cards, bank accounts, and overdrafts actually work - and consequently run the risk of paying much more in interest and charges. Nor do they always understand exactly what they are doing when they sign a contract of employment, why it is important to start saving early, what a mortgage really is, and how the various types differ. This book addresses these issues as well as pension planning and income tax.