Maybe it is time for a remake of that 1980s boomer angst television show, "thirtysomething," because there are more 30-year-olds in the United States than ever before.

Within nine years, almost 45 million Americans will be in their 30s, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. As their parents did a generation ago, they are starting to settle down and buy houses and cars. But unlike their parents, they are toting heavy college debt burdens, juggling $200-plus cellphone and Wi-Fi bills, and facing a far more complex financial marketplace.

Today's 30-somethings may be smarter about money than their parents were: They are not calmly expecting any large institution to take care of them, and they know they have to compete with the biggest cohort ever in a challenging job market.

So old financial advice will not apply. Here are some fresh new money rules for the latest greatest generation.

Plan your career. "Our greatest asset is our ability to earn money," said Sheryl Garrett, a Eureka Springs, Ark., financial adviser. Think carefully about what you want your future work life to look like, and invest time and money into getting there. Keep up your schooling and your skills, and network.

Open a Roth IRA. The Roth individual retirement account is one of the best tax-favored saving mechanisms around. Once you put money into a Roth, it can grow without the earnings ever being taxed if they are not withdrawn until you are 59 ½. Over decades, that is an enormous benefit.

If you are cash-strapped, you can jump-start your savings by using a Roth IRA as your emergency fund, too, at least until you have enough money to fund both retirement savings and emergency savings, suggests Catherine Hawley, a financial adviser in Monterey, Calif.

That is because there are no penalties for withdrawing the money you contributed to your Roth in the first place.

Order your debts. If you are still carrying credit card debt, pay it off as quickly as possible. Do not be in such a rush to pay off student loan debt, especially if it consists of federal loans with relatively low interest rates. Pay your monthly minimums on those low-interest loans while you build up savings and pay off other debts first.

Get the 401(k) started. You still have a lot of time for compounding of income to work in your favor, but only if you start soon. Aim to put 10 percent of your salary into your retirement.

Linda Stern is a Reuters columnist.