What will it taketo retire?

Money lessons for real life

Start where you are.
Learn what matters next.

You do not need to learn personal finance all at once. Choose your stage of life and begin with two short lessons written in everyday language.

Choose my life stage
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Your learning trail0 of 17 short lessonsProgress stays in this browser.

One simple mental model

Every dollar eventually has one of four jobs.

1UseLife today→2ProtectSurprises→3GrowFuture goals→4SharePeople & causes

The balance changes as life changes. That is why the lessons below begin with your stage—not with a financial product.

Guided visual lesson · about 7 minutes

How should retirement money be invested?

See how timing risk, retirement income, near-term reserves, market declines, useful stock risk, and diversification fit together.

Expenses−Retirement income=Investments supply the gap→Safer reserve + long-term growth
Start lesson

Guided visual lesson · about 8 minutes

How will everyone in the household get healthcare?

Follow adults and children through employer coverage, Marketplace insurance, Medicaid, CHIP, and Medicare—and see why income can change the cost.

Adults under 65Work · Marketplace · Medicaid+ChildrenFamily plan · Medicaid · CHIP+Adults 65+Medicare
Start lesson

Where are you today?

Choose the closest stage.

No stage is a test, and life rarely follows a perfect order. Pick the one that best matches the questions on your mind.

First paycheck

Give every new dollar a job.

Enjoy the milestone while setting up a few automatic choices your future self will appreciate.

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Basic

Begin here. This is the part most people can use right away.

Why this matters

Saving whatever happens to be left at month-end usually means saving very little.

Try this
  • Automate savings on payday.
  • Set aside rent, bills, and debt payments first.
  • Choose a fun-money amount you can spend without second-guessing.
Watch out

A plan that leaves no room for enjoyment is hard to sustain. Consistency matters more than perfection.

The name you may hearPay-yourself-first saving

You can return and continue at any time.

Ready to use your own numbers?

Turn the lessons into a retirement plan.

The planner connects your timeline, expenses, income, savings, and investment choices—and lets you change one assumption at a time.

Open the planner