Exploding Three Myths About Aging

For better or worse, America has a youth-obsessed culture. Images of celebrities crowd our supermarket checkout lanes and hand-held devices, their creative talents superseded only by an ability to attract publicity.

This 24/7 media attention on youth also tends to project images of older people that show them in mental and physical decline, less productive at work—and even a bit grumpier to be around.

The media, it seems, mostly gets it wrong. Consider these three myths, debunked by a growing body of scientific research that suggests that life gets better as we grow older.

Good Financial Habits Start Early

Working at a job in high school may help form lifelong financial habits with a big payoff. Gretchen, a 40-year-old registered nurse, started babysitting and working at a grocery store when she was 15. She regularly put half of her paycheck in a savings account, along with any birthday or gift money she received from her parents or relatives.

Spring-Clean Your Finances: 10 Tips To Boost Savings

Find items in your budget that you may be able to live without. Here are 10 quick and easy ideas for generating an extra $250 a month that could be redirected to your 401(k) or other retirement account.