At 21, with no current college credits, what would I be better off doing?
1. Enrolling in college as soon as possible, then trying to save as much as I can after graduation, living in a low rent place and being frugal
2. Postponing college for another year, working a full-time job or a full-time and a part-time both, then putting all of that money (since I have no current expenses, rent, etc.) into mutual funds and a Roth IRA, and letting it sit through my 4 to 8 years of college (until about age 40 or 45), adding at least ,000 a year after that (much more if I make more)
3. Postponing college for 2 more years instead of one, and putting between ,000 and ,000 into mutual funds, etc., and pulling out some of that for graduate or medical school if I end up going that route, then starting to invest mainly after graduation and residency, about 10 years from now
Which one is the smartest route, financially? Thanks.
I mean, step one does sound best to a lot of people. But I know that what you invest before 25 has a huge impact.