This dashboard organizes 24 trusted U.S. investing and personal finance resources into five skill levels, from ages 6 through advanced/professional learning. Click a level below to expand it. Each resource lists what it covers and what you should already know before starting there.

Tier 1 — Kids (Ages 6-12): Money Basics Through Play

No prior money knowledge needed — just basic counting and simple arithmetic.

Money as You Grow

Covers: What money is, needs vs. wants, counting coins/bills, saving toward a goal.

Needs first: Counting to 100, comparing quantities.

Practical Money Skills (Visa)

Covers: Coin/bill recognition, budget decision games, saving vs. spending.

Needs first: Basic addition/subtraction.

Biz Kid$

Covers: Earning and entrepreneurship, basic business concepts, saving habits.

Needs first: Basic idea of buying/selling.

FDIC Money Smart for Young People

Covers: Bank basics, deposits/withdrawals, budgeting, credit intro (by grade band).

Needs first: Grade-level reading; basic arithmetic.

U.S. Mint — Coin Classroom

Covers: Identifying U.S. coins/values, currency history.

Needs first: Counting to 100.

Ready for Tier 2 when you can: count/add money amounts, explain saving vs. spending, and know what a bank does.
Tier 2 — Teens (Ages 13-18): Building Real Skills

Assumes pre-algebra math and Tier 1 vocabulary (save, spend, earn, bank).

Khan Academy — Personal Finance

Covers: Budgeting, compound interest, credit/debt, taxes, insurance, intro to stocks/bonds/retirement accounts.

Needs first: Pre-algebra (percentages, ratios).

Next Gen Personal Finance

Covers: Full high-school curriculum — budgeting, credit, insurance, taxes, investing fundamentals.

Needs first: Pre-algebra math; independent lesson work.

MyMoney.gov — Resources for Youth

Covers: Taxes, Social Security basics, structured saving/investing curricula (ages 12-20).

Needs first: Basic algebra.

Stax (Common Cents Lab)

Covers: Comparing CDs/stocks/bonds, risk vs. return, compounding over time.

Needs first: Understanding of interest and percentages.

Verify current link before publishing — Stax is primarily a mobile app; confirm best landing page.

Ready for Tier 3 when you can: explain compound interest, credit, and risk/return; read a simple account statement.
Tier 3 — Young Adults & Beginners (Ages 18-30): First Real Decisions

Assumes Tier 2 exit skills and comfort looking up unfamiliar terms.

Investopedia

Covers: Full glossary/tutorials — stocks, bonds, ETFs, options, valuation ratios, market orders.

Needs first: Tier 2 exit skills.

NerdWallet

Covers: Comparing brokers/robo-advisors, opening first account, fees, Roth vs. traditional.

Needs first: Basic idea of a brokerage account.

The Motley Fool

Covers: Evaluating companies, buy-and-hold philosophy, reading earnings, diversification.

Needs first: Understands what a stock is; basic account mechanics.

Fidelity Learning Center

Covers: Account setup, 401(k) vs. IRA, beginner asset allocation, options basics.

Needs first: Has/opening an account; Tier 2 exit skills.

Charles Schwab — Learning Center

Covers: Account basics, beginner allocation, free paper-trading practice tool.

Needs first: Basic order types (market/limit) helpful.

Ready for Tier 4 when you can: open/fund an account, understand fees and diversification, read a basic fund profile.
Tier 4 — Intermediate Investors: Building a Portfolio

Assumes Tier 3 exit skills and at least one open account.

Bogleheads

Covers: Three-fund portfolios, index investing, tax-efficient placement, rebalancing.

Needs first: Basic grasp of 401(k)/IRA/Roth accounts.

Morningstar

Covers: Fund/stock ratings, fee analysis, style-box analysis, portfolio overlap tools.

Needs first: Understands mutual funds/ETFs.

Bankrate

Covers: Savings/CD rate comparison, mortgage/retirement calculators.

Needs first: Basic loan/interest terminology.

SEC — Investor.gov

Covers: How markets function, investor rights, checking a broker (BrokerCheck), fraud red flags.

Needs first: Tier 3 exit skills.

Ready for Tier 5 when you can: build/rebalance a diversified portfolio, compare funds by expense ratio and style, vet a broker.
Tier 5 — Advanced / Professional-Level Learning

Assumes Tier 4 exit skills; some resources assume basic accounting/statistics.

Yahoo Finance

Covers: Reading financial statements, charting, historical data, sector screening.

Needs first: Basic accounting literacy.

Finviz

Covers: Technical chart patterns, valuation + technical screening, market heat maps.

Needs first: Valuation ratios (P/E, P/B) and basic technical analysis.

Koyfin

Covers: Macro data overlays, cross-asset comparison, multi-factor screening.

Needs first: Finviz-level screening; basic macroeconomics.

Corporate Finance Institute (CFI)

Covers: Financial modeling, DCF valuation, comparable company analysis, LBO basics.

Needs first: Financial statement literacy; spreadsheet skills.

Coursera — Investment & Finance Courses

Covers: Ranges from intro market courses to portfolio theory and derivatives (varies by course).

Needs first: Varies by course — check listing before enrolling.

CFA Institute

Covers: Equity/fixed-income valuation, derivatives, portfolio management, ethics (professional-analyst level).

Needs first: Strong statistics and valuation background, or a finance degree.