Corporations offer employees boatloads of training, so isn’t it interesting that when it comes to your long-term financial well-being, you’re just supposed to figure things out on your own?   It’s assumptions like these that caused thousands of Enron employees to lose their shirts a few years back when the company’s stock plummeted and their retirement funds when down with the ship.  In any case, when I came across these “dumb money” mistakes on CNN Money, I thought I would share the “wealth.”  I’ve now been in the adult phase of my life longer than I was an adolescent, and I’m still guilty of some of these:

• Putting all your eggs in company stock: If the business falters, your retirement plan could fall off along with it. Limit company stock to 10 percent of your portfolio.
• Cashing out your 401(k): Leave your 401(k) alone when you leave your job. If you cash out, not only will you pay a 10 percent penalty and income taxes, but you'll also lose out on future tax-free growth.
• Not checking out your advisor: Don't hire a planner or adviser without asking how you're paying for the advice. And how much. How else can you figure out whether the advice is worth the price?
• Buying last year's top performing mutual fund: Today's hot fund is almost certain to be tomorrow's loser. Opt for funds with a history of low costs and returns in line with peers.
• Stretching out loan payments: If you take a 40-year mortgage or a six-year auto loan, you'll fail to build equity, and you'll pay more interest over the life of the loan.
• Applying for more than two credit cards: You'll damage your credit score while increasing your temptation to run up balances.
• Getting a tax refund: It's an interest-free loan to Uncle Sam. Use the calculator at irs.gov to adjust your withholding so that you can keep more cash each month.
• Paying retail right off the bat: A simple Web search or a few phone calls should tell you whether you'd save by buying elsewhere.

One piece of advice that’s helped me personally is to save as much income as you can (via a diversified portfolio) during your twenties when you’re still unencumbered and only have to worry about supporting yourself.  Once there’s a house and kids and all that fun stuff, I’ve heard that the money disappears faster than you can make it!