Methods & scope
Small scope. Explicit assumptions.
The course
Ten authored lessons cover foundational concepts. Each includes an explanation, an original example, a table, an exercise with its answer, and two subject-specific checks. These are self-study materials, not personalized financial advice.
Calculators
Compound growth
Starting balance × (1 + rate / periods per year)^(periods per year × years). No contributions, withdrawals, taxes, or fees. The nominal annual rate is divided into equal periods. Constant rates are illustrative, not forecasts.
Purchasing power
Future amount / (1 + inflation rate)^years. The amount is held fixed in future dollars and expressed in today’s purchasing power. Constant inflation, no interest, and no individual spending differences.
Cost of an annual fee
Without fee: principal × (1 + return)^years. With fee: principal × ((1 + return) × (1 − fee))^years. Each year applies gross growth, then a fee on the ending balance. No deposits, withdrawals, taxes, or trading costs. The balance difference includes fees and foregone growth.
Search
Search ranks course titles, topic terms, and lesson explanations. It requires a topic match and filters weak matches. It returns lesson takeaways, not an AI-generated answer. A missing result means this small course does not contain a relevant match.
Completion
Both checks in a lesson must be correct before its completion button is enabled. You may retry, and the answer explanations are available. This is open-book self-study. There is no certificate, supervised exam, or professional accreditation.
Review and corrections
Course version 2026.2 was reviewed on 2026-09-09. Source links are provided so you can examine the original material. This course avoids annual contribution limits, provider rankings, and individualized tax decisions. Report a suspected error through the contact page, including the lesson and the statement in question.
Earlier material
The earlier 102-lesson catalog and its certificate have been retired from the learning interface. Old lesson links explain the change and lead to this course. Legacy browser data is preserved.