Money guides
Short, plain-language explainers with worked examples and sources. Try a calculator or practice question, then take the matching learning path. Free to read, no account needed.
Budgeting
Plan where your money goes before it’s gone.
How to Make Your First Budget
A step-by-step way to build your first budget: find your take-home pay, list your costs, use the 50/30/20 guide and pay yourself first.
5 min read · interactiveNeeds vs. Wants: How to Tell the Difference
Needs keep you safe, housed, fed and able to work. Wants are optional. Learn how to sort your spending, and why some items depend on your situation.
4 min readHow the 50/30/20 Budget Works
The 50/30/20 rule splits take-home pay into 50% needs, 30% wants and 20% savings and debt payoff. See how it works, with a calculator, and when to bend it.
5 min read · interactiveHow to Track Your Spending (and Why It Works)
Tracking every purchase for a month shows where your money really goes. Learn simple ways to do it and how to use what you find.
4 min read
Saving and goals
Build a cushion and reach what you’re saving for.
Emergency Funds Explained: How Much and Where
What an emergency fund is, why a $1,000 starter fund is a common first goal, how big a full fund is, and where to keep it.
5 min read · interactiveSetting Financial Goals You’ll Actually Reach
Specific goals with an amount and a deadline are easier to reach. Learn how to turn a goal into a weekly or monthly savings amount.
4 min read · interactive
Credit
How scores and credit cards work.
What Is a Credit Score? What It Is and What Affects It
A credit score sums up how you’ve handled borrowed money. Learn the five FICO factors, how utilization works and how to check your reports for free.
6 min read · interactiveHow Credit Cards Work and How Interest Is Charged
Credit cards are loans. Learn what APR means, how a grace period works, why paying only the minimum is costly, and two ways to pay off debt.
6 min read · interactive
Investing
How money can grow, and the risks that come with it.
What Is Compound Interest? Explained with a Calculator
Compound interest is interest on your money plus past interest. See simple vs. compound interest side by side, the Rule of 72, and why starting early matters.
6 min read · interactiveWhat Is a Stock? Ownership, Risk and Diversification
A stock is a small piece of ownership in a company. Learn how stocks differ from bonds, why prices rise and fall, and why investors spread money out.
5 min readWhat Is an Index Fund? Fees, Diversification and Basics
An index fund holds the companies in a market index. Learn how it works, what an expense ratio is, and what dollar-cost averaging means.
5 min readUnderstanding Investment Risk: Time Horizon and Tolerance
Higher possible returns come with bigger possible losses. Learn about time horizon, risk tolerance and how mixing stocks and bonds changes the ups and downs.
5 min read
Money for teens
Your first paycheck and first bank account.
Your First Paycheck: Gross vs. Net Pay and What to Do Next
How to read a pay stub, what gross and net pay mean, why taxes and deductions come out, and how to plan your first paycheck.
5 min readBanking Basics for Teens: Checking, Savings and Fees
What checking and savings accounts are for, how debit cards work, what APY means, how deposit insurance protects you, and how to avoid common fees.
6 min read
Finpello is education, not personal financial advice. Guides are checked against the public sources they list, and have not yet been reviewed by a certified teacher or financial professional. See how lessons are checked.