It’s never too early to start building a foundation for a healthy financial future. Whether you’re about to graduate or you have a few years of college ahead, you can get started right now on your journey to good financial health.

Here are five financial tips to help you start working toward long-term financial freedom:

  1. Small steps lead to bigger opportunities: No matter what amount of money you have, taking small steps toward building a solid financial foundation is key. Whether it’s saving a little more each month, starting to save for the first time or monitoring your credit score, these steps can help you prepare for the unexpected while setting you up for long-term success.
  2. Establish good credit: The main elements of securing a good credit score include paying your bills on time, the length of time you’ve had a credit history and the amount and type of accounts you have. Potential lenders will use this information to determine your credit risk. Managing your finances wisely will help you establish strong credit, a practice that will pay off when you want to make larger purchases like a car or a home.
  3. Embrace digital tools: Apps, online goal sheets and budget builders are a great way to manage your finances. Look into what digital tools your financial partner offers. Whether it’s credit and identity monitoring, or setting up repeating automatic transfers from your checking account to your savings account, these tools will help keep you on track with your payments and savings goals.
  4. Ask for help: From meeting with a banker or talking to friends or family, conversations and advice can be critical to improving financial health, such as building a budget.
  5. Keep the conversation going: Talk with your family or a financial expert about your financial goals and how you plan to achieve them. These discussions all provide opportunities to help keep you on track to reaching those goals.

Establishing solid financial habits can be a lifetime process, but it’s easier if you learn the fundamentals as early as possible. It’s never too early, or too late, to begin your journey and now is a great time to get started or recommit to your financial health.

For more financial health tips, visit chase.com/financialgoals.