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MSN Money has a section for twentysomethings in order to keep them from messing up their financial lives. Liz Pulliam Weston has a quiz on how you stack up compared to your peers.

1. The median income for families headed by people aged 20 to 29 was just under $28,000 in 2004
2. Twentysomethings were more than twice as likely as older folks to have a negative net worth…The median net worth in this age bracket was just $7,901
3. Thirty percent had education loans. The median amount owed to student lenders was $9,200.
4. One out of 10 families headed by twentysomethings was at least 60 days late on a bill.
5. Thirty-two percent of twentysomething families had no health insurance

My answers:

1. We do beat this statistic
2. Negative net worth? Yikes! We do have positive net worth greater than the median, but likely because of #1.
3. Check and we wish.
4. Nope. I’m fanatical about paying on time. I hate penalties.
5. Luckily my wife and I both have jobs that provide health insurance.

If you’re twentysomething take a gander at the new (to me, at least) section and see how you stack up to your peers. She also has six suggestions to run with if you don’t stack up.

• Live cheaply as long as you can
• Get health insurance
• Shovel money into your retirement funds
• Take a chance
• Be strategic about debt
• Pay attention to your credit score