Course
Seven lessons, one at a time.
Watch a short video, read the notes, answer four questions. The lessons go in order because the later ones lean on the earlier ones — but nobody is checking.
Life on your first paycheck
Gross pay, net pay, and the four lines on the stub that explain the gap.
Spot the financial scam
Urgency, gift cards, fake checks — the four habits that catch nearly all of them.
Paychecks and taxes
Withholding, W-2 versus 1099, and the fact that a refund is your own money.
College finance
Sticker price versus net price, federal before private, and a borrowing ceiling.
Credit cards and debt
Minimum payments, grace periods, cash advances, and which balance to kill first.
Understanding your credit score
Payment history, utilization, and why closing your oldest card usually hurts.
Investing and risk
Index funds, thirty years of compounding, fees, and which money belongs in the market.
Not a lesson
Money Life
The same decisions as the course, without the quiz. Thirty squares from first job to retirement, with rent, a layoff, and a flat tire on a Tuesday along the way.
Want more?
Common Cents
Ten more topics with flashcards, interactive calculators, and printable activities — free and online.