Share your insights or perspective on the financial matter presented in the input.

I'm an American in my mid 20's. Is there something I should be doing to secure myself financially?
I may be walking on thin ice but that's never stopped me from answering before. ;) I have a PhD in physics.  I knew that I wasn't a die-hard publisher so I didn't pursue academia. A postdoc will likely pay about what a person with a BS in math could make in industry, but you're now a few years past that age.  You'll be playing catch-up.  The magic of compounding was working on a small amount of money while you were studying, if it was anything like my experience. When I think "postdoc" I think "you're looking for tenure track" so if that's incorrect forgive me.  Competition will be fierce for those positions, meaning you'll be looking at not one but several postdoc positions, all at low salaries.  Postdocs are a way of absorbing the glut of PhDs. Tenure track is a long road, and by the time you get there -- if you get there -- who knows if there will be such a thing as tenure? Long way of putting this:  I'd take a good, hard, careful look outside of academia for your employment if you're concerned about your financial outlook.