Last week we posted a poll on what you wanted to ask Sam next, and the winning question was: What do you and your friends want from a financial institution?

Anything you can do to make our lives easier would be welcome, starting with letting us know what all you can actually do to help us. Most people my age have no idea what differences there are between credit unions and banks, much less what the benefits of joining are.

To really cover what we want, you have to focus on what we’re worried about. College students like my friends and I aren’t worried about cars or homes; we’re most worried about the high cost of tuition and student loan debt.

Everyone I know who attends a state university is using some form of financial assistance — it’s too expensive to pay your own way. Most people I know who aren’t using loans are attending a community college because that’s the only realistic option.

We all hear that the deferred federal student loans offer the best deal because you don’t have to pay anything until several months after you graduate. But the scariest thing anyone has ever told me is that student loans never disappear until they’re paid off — they follow you to the end of the earth, no matter what. Student loans are enough of a worry for soon-to-be graduates that we’re not exactly looking forward to taking on other loans for awhile.

Right now, most of my friends and I just want money to be as easy as possible, like everyone else does.  However, since most of us don’t know how the economic world actually works, we need some guidance. We want stability and a plan for the future, which is why most people end up banking at the same place their parents bank.

If there’s anything you’d like to ask Sam, or if you have ideas for blog topics you’d like to see Sam take on, just post a comment or email sam@idizinc.com .