Much like a 1994 Mariah Carey, payday is full of the highest highs, with unexpected lows. I have no shame in admitting that the first time I officially got paid, I experienced a roller coaster of emotions. Ever eloquent, my initial reaction to my first pay stub was somewhere along the lines of: “YAY! MONEY! I’M SUCH A BALLER. Wait. Whaaa-azklasdljkf. Who the hell is FICA??!?!?!?!??!  WHY ARE YOU TAKING MY MONEY?!”

So WHO is FICA? As it turns out, “FICA” stands for Federal Insurance Contributions Act. It requires that you, along with the vast majority of workers, have mandatory deductions taken out of your paycheck ...