Money topics, explained
Short, plain-English explainers on the big ideas in personal finance and economics, each with a free worksheet, the words to know and real stories from the news.
- Inflation, explainedWhy the same $20 buys less than it used to, and what that means for your paycheck and savings. 2 issues · 2 worksheets
- Interest rates and the Fed, explainedThe price of borrowing money, who sets it, and why a change in Washington shows up in your car loan and savings account. 2 issues · 1 worksheet
- The stock market, explainedWhat a share of stock is, why prices jump or drop on the news, and what the S&P 500, Dow and Nasdaq actually measure. 3 issues · 1 worksheet
- Investing, explainedHow money grows on its own over time, why starting at 16 beats starting at 36, and the simple tools most people use. 2 worksheets
- Budgeting, explainedA plan for your money before you spend it, and the simple math that shows what things really cost. 4 issues · 2 worksheets
- Paychecks and taxes, explainedWhy your first paycheck is smaller than you expected, and where the missing money goes. 1 worksheet
- Credit cards and credit scores, explainedThe three-digit number that follows you for years, and how a credit card can help it or wreck it. 2 worksheets
- Loans and debt, explainedHow borrowing for a car, college or a house works, and why the monthly payment isn't the real price. 1 issue · 1 worksheet
- Banking and saving, explainedWhere to keep your money, how to avoid fees, and how to make it earn a little while it sits. 2 worksheets
- Insurance, explainedPaying a little now so a disaster later doesn't wipe you out, and the two numbers that decide what it costs. 1 worksheet
- Scams and identity theft, explainedThe fake jobs, prize texts and "your account is locked" messages aimed at teens, and how to spot them. 1 worksheet
- The economy: jobs, GDP and recessions, explainedThe few numbers that say whether the economy is growing or shrinking, and what they mean for getting a job. 1 issue
- Supply and demand, explainedWhy concert tickets, gas and phones cost what they do, explained with the most useful idea in economics. 4 issues · 1 worksheet
- Tariffs and trade, explainedWhat a tariff is, who ends up paying it, and why countries trade with each other in the first place.