Money School

Learn money. One article at a time.

40+ free, beginner-friendly articles on stocks, crypto, investing, budgeting, credit, retirement, and taxes.

Investing Basics

What Is Compound Interest? (And Why Einstein Called It the 8th Wonder of the World)

Compound interest is the most powerful force in investing. Learn how it works, why starting young matters, and how to make it work for you.

6 min read
Investing Basics

Index Funds for Beginners: The Lazy Way to Beat 90% of Professional Investors

Most active fund managers can't beat the market. Here's why a boring index fund quietly outperforms almost everyone — and how to buy your first one.

7 min read
Retirement

Roth IRA Explained: Why Every 20-Something Should Open One This Week

A Roth IRA is the single best retirement account for most young people. Here's how it works, who qualifies, and why opening one in your 20s is a cheat code.

7 min read
Retirement

401(k) Beginners Guide: The Free Money Your Employer Is Probably Offering You Right Now

If your job offers a 401(k) match and you're not taking it, you're literally turning down a raise. Here's how the whole thing actually works.

6 min read
Credit & Debt

Credit Scores Explained: How to Go From 580 to 750 in Under a Year

Your credit score is the most valuable 3-digit number in your life. Here's exactly what makes it move — and the fastest legal ways to raise it.

8 min read
Credit & Debt

Credit Card Debt: The Trap That Keeps 45% of Americans Stuck (And How to Escape It)

Credit card debt is the most expensive money you'll ever borrow. Here's exactly how it works — and the two proven strategies for escaping it.

7 min read
Budgeting

The 50/30/20 Rule: The Only Budget You'll Ever Need (Explained in Plain English)

Most budgets fail because they're too complicated. The 50/30/20 rule is the rare exception — three simple buckets that actually work in real life.

6 min read
Investing Basics

Stocks vs ETFs vs Crypto: Where Should a 22-Year-Old Actually Put Their Money?

TikTok will tell you crypto. Your dad will tell you stocks. Here's the actual smart allocation for a 22-year-old who wants to build wealth without going broke.

8 min read
Budgeting

Emergency Fund Guide: Why You Need 3–6 Months of Expenses Saved Before Doing Anything Else

An emergency fund is the unglamorous foundation of every financial plan. Here's how big it should be, where to keep it, and how to build one fast.

6 min read
Investing Basics

How the Stock Market Actually Works (Without the Wall Street Jargon)

Forget the trading floor footage. Here's what the stock market actually is, why prices move, and why nobody — including the pros — can reliably time it.

7 min read
Taxes

Side Hustle Taxes: Everything You Need to Know Before the IRS Comes Knocking

If your side hustle earned more than $400 this year, the IRS expects to hear from you. Here's how to handle it without a panic attack in April.

8 min read
Real Estate

Buy vs Rent a Home: The Real Math That No One Talks About

"Renting is throwing money away" is one of the most persistent — and most wrong — pieces of advice in personal finance. Here's the real math.

8 min read
Budgeting

First Paycheck? Do These 7 Things Before You Spend a Single Dollar

The first paycheck of your career is the most important one you'll ever get — because the habits you set with it run for decades.

6 min read
Credit & Debt

Student Loan Repayment Strategies: How to Pay Off $30,000 Without Ruining Your Life

Federal vs private, income-driven plans, refinancing, PSLF — student loans have more options than most people realize. Here's the smart playbook.

8 min read
Credit & Debt

Credit Card Rewards Guide: How to Get $1,000+ a Year Back Without Spending More

If you pay your card in full every month, credit card rewards are essentially free money. Here's how the game works and how to play it.

7 min read
Investing Basics

Dollar-Cost Averaging Explained: Why Investing $200/Month Beats Waiting to Invest $2,400

Dollar-cost averaging is the boring strategy that quietly outperforms the clever ones — mostly because most people stick with it.

6 min read
Economics Basics

What Is Inflation? Why Your Savings Account Is Losing Value Right Now

If your savings account pays 0.5% and inflation is 3%, you're losing money every single year. Here's what inflation actually is and how to fight it.

6 min read
Budgeting

How to Calculate Net Worth: The One Number That Tells You How Rich You Are

Your salary tells you nothing about your wealth. Your net worth tells you everything. Here's how to calculate it and why tracking it monthly changes your behavior.

6 min read
Investing Basics

Types of Investment Accounts: Brokerage vs Roth IRA vs 401(k) — Which to Use First

Stocks live inside accounts — and the type of account matters more than people realize. Here's the optimal order to use them.

7 min read
Wealth Building

Financial Independence Explained: What It Means and How to Get There Faster Than You Think

Financial independence isn't about being rich. It's about owning your time. Here's the actual math — and how a 50% savings rate cuts the timeline to 17 years.

9 min read
Budgeting

Best Budgeting Apps for 2025: Honest Comparison for Gen Z (YNAB, Rocket Money, Copilot & More)

The best budgeting apps for 2025, ranked and compared — built around how Gen Z and younger millennials actually use money.

10 min read
Stocks

Amazon Stock Explained: What Owning AMZN Actually Means

Buying Amazon stock makes you a tiny part-owner of Amazon. Here's what that actually means, how AMZN makes money, and what a first share gets you.

7 min read
Stocks

Tesla Stock: Why Everyone's Obsessed (And Should You Buy It?)

TSLA is one of the most volatile and emotional stocks on Earth. Here's the behavioral finance behind the obsession — and what to do about it.

7 min read
Crypto

Bitcoin Price Swings: Why Crypto Is So Volatile (And What To Do About It)

Bitcoin can swing 20% in a week and 70% in a year. Here's why crypto is so volatile, and a beginner's risk-management playbook that actually works.

7 min read
Stocks

Apple Stock (AAPL): A Beginner's Guide to Buying Your First Share

Walk through the entire process of buying your first share of Apple stock — from opening a brokerage to placing the order — using AAPL as the example.

7 min read
Stocks

AMD vs Nvidia Stock: Which Chip Stock Is Right for Beginners?

AMD and Nvidia both make the chips powering the AI boom. Here's how to compare two competitors, and which one actually fits a beginner's portfolio.

8 min read
Stocks

What Is the Dow Jones? (And Why People Keep Talking About It)

The Dow, the S&P 500, the Nasdaq — three indexes you hear about every day. Here's what each one actually measures, in plain English.

6 min read
Stocks

Microsoft Stock (MSFT): Is Big Tech Still Worth Buying in 2025?

Microsoft is the quietest giant in big tech — and one of the most consistent compounders of the last decade. Here's the case for owning MSFT, simply.

7 min read
Crypto

Ethereum vs Bitcoin: What's the Difference and Which Should You Buy First?

Bitcoin and Ethereum are the two biggest cryptos, and they do completely different things. Here's the difference, in plain English, with a beginner allocation.

7 min read
Stocks

Walmart Stock: What Dividend Stocks Are and Why Boring Can Be Beautiful

Walmart has paid an increasing dividend for over 50 years straight. Here's what dividend investing is and why "boring" stocks quietly build wealth.

7 min read
Crypto

What Is XRP? Ripple Explained for People Who Keep Seeing It Everywhere

XRP is one of the top-10 cryptos and the most controversial. Here's what Ripple actually does, how XRP differs from Bitcoin, and why opinions are so split.

7 min read
Crypto

Dogecoin: Meme Coin or Real Investment? Here's What the Data Says

Dogecoin started as a joke and now has a $20B+ market cap. Here's an honest look at speculative assets, position sizing, and "only invest what you can lose."

6 min read
Stocks

Disney Stock (DIS): How to Invest in Companies You Actually Love

Loving a brand isn't the same as the stock being a good investment. Here's how to research a company you already use — using Disney as the example.

7 min read
Stocks

GameStop Stock: What Actually Happened and What It Taught Retail Investors

The GameStop short squeeze rewrote the rules of retail investing. Here's what actually happened, what short selling is, and the lessons that still apply.

8 min read
Stocks

Ford vs GM Stock: How to Compare Two Stocks in the Same Industry

Same industry, two giants. Here's the simple P/E + revenue + dividend framework for comparing any two competitors — using Ford and GM as the example.

7 min read
Investing Basics

QQQ vs VOO vs VTI: Which ETF Should a Beginner Buy First?

QQQ, VOO, and VTI are the three most popular ETFs in America. Here's exactly what each one holds and which to buy first — in plain English.

7 min read
Stocks

Cannabis Stocks 101: High Risk, High Reward, and What You Should Know

Cannabis stocks have minted millionaires and wiped out fortunes — sometimes in the same year. Here's the honest breakdown of a high-risk sector.

7 min read
Stocks

Nike Stock: How to Read a Stock Chart for the Very First Time

Stock charts look intimidating until someone walks you through one. Using Nike's chart as the example, here's how to read prices, volume, and trends.

7 min read
Stocks

Airbnb, Shopify & Spotify Stock: How to Invest in Apps You Use Every Day

Airbnb, Shopify, Spotify — apps you use weekly are publicly traded companies. Here's how to evaluate consumer brands using the apps already on your phone.

7 min read
Crypto

What Is Dogecoin vs Litecoin vs Stellar Lumens? A Crypto Altcoin Primer

Altcoins are every crypto that isn't Bitcoin. Here's a beginner's tour of Litecoin, Stellar Lumens, Dogecoin, and the risk tiers behind 12,000 "others."

8 min read
Stocks

Berkshire Hathaway Stock: What Warren Buffett Can Teach You About Patience

Berkshire Hathaway has compounded at ~20%/year for 60 years. Here's what Warren Buffett's playbook can teach a 22-year-old about patience and value.

7 min read

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