Real World Ready

1. 1

   Interest Compounds Both Ways

   Certificate path

   How interest pays savers and charges borrowers, why compound interest grows on past interest, and why time makes either side bigger.

   Next up
2. 2

   Make a Money Decision in 5 Steps

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   A simple 5-step way to make big money choices: name the goal, list choices, pick what matters, compare, then decide and look back.

+2 more lessons coming

1. 1

   Your Rights at Work

   Certificate path

   What labor laws protect for teen workers: pay for every hour, overtime, age limits on hours and jobs, and how to report unpaid wages safely.
2. 2

   Read Your Paystub

   Certificate path

   Learn to read a paystub from gross pay to net pay, spot a payroll mistake, and know what to do when the numbers look wrong.

+7 more lessons coming

1. 1

   The W-4: Your Tax Setting

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   How the W-4 sets the tax your job holds back, why that decides a refund or a tax bill in spring, and when claiming exempt fits.
2. 2

   How Tax Brackets Really Work

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   How tax brackets tax each slice of income at its own rate, what a marginal rate means, and why a raise never shrinks pay after income tax.
3. 3

   W-2, 1099 and Other Tax Forms

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   Which tax forms report your income (W-2, 1099-NEC, 1099-K, 1099-INT), why the IRS gets copies, and why income counts even with no form.
4. 4

   File Your First Tax Return

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   How filing settles up with the IRS, why a teen with tax held back may get money back, free ways to file, and how to spot refund scams.

+5 more lessons coming

1. 1

   Checking and Debit Cards

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   How a checking account and debit card work: pending vs posted charges, holds, ATM fees, fraud protection and spending from available.
2. 2

   Overdrafts and Fees

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   What overdrafts and NSF fees are, how opting out stops most card and ATM overdrafts, and why a buffer still matters for checks and autopay.

+8 more lessons coming

1. 1

   Build a Budget That Fits You

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   Build a budget before the money arrives: fixed vs variable costs, three common budget styles, and how to plan when pay goes up and down.
2. 2

   Subscriptions on Purpose

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   How small monthly charges add up, the free-trial trap, monthly vs yearly pricing, and how to cancel a subscription and keep proof.
3. 3

   Car Math: The True Cost of a Car

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   Why a car costs far more than its price: insurance, fuel, repairs, registration and lost value, compared with transit, a bike or rideshare.

+9 more lessons coming

1. 1

   Pay Yourself First

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   Why saving automatically the moment money arrives beats saving what’s left, how to work out a savings rate, and how small starts add up.
2. 2

   Keep-Safe Money: Your Emergency Fund

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   How an emergency fund turns a surprise bill into a hassle instead of a debt: what counts, where to keep it, and refilling it after use.
3. 3

   Where to Keep Savings: APY and Account Types

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   How APY differs from an interest rate, how savings, high-yield savings, money market accounts and CDs compare, and which fits each goal.

+4 more lessons coming

1. 1

   What Borrowing Really Costs

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   How a loan’s total cost depends on the rate, the length and fees, why APR is the best number for comparing loans, and how long terms add interest.
2. 2

   Your Credit Report

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   What a credit report lists and what it leaves out, how adults get theirs free, how to dispute errors, and when a teen’s report is a red flag.
3. 3

   Your Credit Score

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   How a credit score is built from your report: payment history, how much of your limit you use, length of history, new credit and credit mix.
4. 4

   How Credit Cards Work

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   How a credit card works as a short loan each month: statement balance, minimum payment, grace period, cash advances and how to avoid interest.
5. 5

   Auto Loans: Watch the Total

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   How a low monthly car payment can hide a long, costly loan: term, APR, down payment, pre-approval, dealer rate markups and negative equity.

+7 more lessons coming

1. 1

   Saving vs Investing: Risk and Reward

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   Learn the difference between saving and investing, why more possible growth comes with more ups and downs, and which money belongs where.
2. 2

   Time Is Your Superpower

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   See why starting to invest early beats starting big, how the rule of 72 estimates doubling time, and why projections are estimates, not promises.
3. 3

   Index Funds and Diversification

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   Learn how diversification spreads out risk, what an index fund does, and why your investment mix depends on when you need the money.
4. 4

   Workplace Retirement Plans and the Match

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   How workplace retirement plans and employer matches work: when you can join, pre-tax vs Roth, vesting, and why the match is part of your pay.
5. 5

   The Roth IRA: A Teen Superpower

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   Learn who can open a Roth IRA, why earned income is the key, how a custodial Roth works for minors, and when Roth money is taxed.

+7 more lessons coming

1. 1

   How Insurance Works

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   How insurance trades a small, known cost for protection from a big, unknown one: premiums, deductibles, claims, and what is worth insuring.
2. 2

   Health Insurance Basics

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   How health insurance works for teens: reading your card, in-network care, urgent care vs the ER, preventive care, and help like Medicaid and CHIP.
3. 3

   Car Insurance

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   Learn the four main kinds of car insurance, why the state minimum may not be enough, what drives teen premiums, and what to do after a crash.

+3 more lessons coming

1. 1

   Identity Theft: Lock It Down

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   How identity theft happens, when to share your Social Security number, how a free credit freeze and fraud alerts work, and the steps to recover.
2. 2

   Scams That Target Teens

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   Spot the three red flags behind most scams (pressure, secrecy and strange payment) and know what to do about money mules, fake calls and threats.
3. 3

   Your Rights as a Consumer

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   Know your rights when a purchase goes wrong: returns vs warranties, card chargebacks, honest prices, and which agency takes your complaint.

+9 more lessons coming

1. 1

   Education ROI

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   Treat school like an investment: compare the total cost with likely pay, check completion rates, and use a simple rule of thumb for borrowing.
2. 2

   The FAFSA

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   What the FAFSA is, why it’s free and worth filing every year, how the Student Aid Index works, and where to find the deadlines that matter.
3. 3

   Student Loans: Borrow Smart

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   How student loans work: federal vs private, subsidized vs unsubsidized, capitalized interest, and how to see the total you will repay before you sign.

+9 more lessons coming

1. 1

   Can I Afford to Move Out?

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   Add up the real monthly cost of moving out, from rent and utilities to food and savings, and see how roommates and income checks change it.
2. 2

   Your Lease, Line by Line

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   Read a lease line by line: rent and due date, late fees, the deposit, repairs, entry notice, breaking the lease, and what a joint lease means.

+5 more lessons coming

1. 1

   Self-Employment Taxes: Set It Aside

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   Gig and business pay has no tax held back. Learn self-employment tax, net earnings, estimated payments and how to set money aside from each payment.
2. 2

   Start a Small Business

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   Start a small business the smart way: find a problem people will pay to solve, count startup costs, check permits, and test small first.

+6 more lessons coming

1. 1

   What Changes at 18

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   What changes at the age of majority: binding contracts, credit in your own name, medical and school records, custodial accounts, taxes and civic paperwork.
2. 2

   Set Up Your Money System

   Certificate path

   Build a money system that runs itself: split direct deposit, automate savings and autopay, turn on alerts, and check it all on a monthly money date.

+3 more lessons coming