Learn the My Money Blueprint
Follow a staged curriculum for building wealth with confidence, from the full Blueprint framework to the money decisions that help you protect, direct, and grow your financial life.
Follow the Blueprint curriculum
Move through the 11 modules in order, or open the stage that matches the decision you are working on now.
Stage 1: Build Your Foundation
Know where you stand before choosing your next move.
Step 1: Establish a minimum emergency fund
Create a starter cash buffer so normal surprises do not become new high-interest debt.
Next: List the last three unexpected expenses you had.
Read guideStep 2: Maximize employer matches
Treat your workplace match as total compensation, capture the full benefit, choose the right tax bucket, and invest the dollars intentionally.
Next: Find the match formula and eligible compensation definition in your plan documents.
Read guideStage 2: Protect Your Future
Create stability and reduce the risks that can slow progress.
Step 3: Know your protection and retirement numbers
Calculate the cash that protects your household today and the inflation-adjusted portfolio that may support your future freedom.
Next: Add housing, core essentials, and monthly debt minimums.
Read guideStep 4: Pay down high-interest debt
Identify debt above the MMA 8% benchmark, compare payoff methods, and build a plan that reduces both interest cost and time in debt.
Next: Record every lender, debt type, and remaining balance.
Read guideStep 5: Build a full emergency fund
Turn the protection target from Step 3 into one liquid, automated reserve that grows, replenishes, and redirects true surplus intentionally.
Next: Bring the rounded full emergency-fund target you calculated in Step 3.
Read guideStage 3: Optimize Your Cash Flow
Make every dollar intentional and direct money toward your priorities.
Step 6: Fund near-term savings goals
Choose realistic goals, match each timeline to the right account, automate the funding, and preserve the cash flow when a goal is complete.
Next: Confirm Step 4 high-interest debt is cleared and Step 5's full emergency reserve is funded.
Read guideStage 4: Build Wealth
Put long-term money to work with simple, disciplined investing principles.
Step 7: Fund tax-advantaged accounts toward your retirement goal
Prioritize eligible HSA and IRA opportunities, understand Roth access and conversion rules, and compare lifetime tax timing before increasing retirement contributions.
Next: Confirm the Step 2 employer match and earlier Blueprint protection priorities are handled.
Read guideStep 8: Maximize retirement contributions within 2026 limits
Turn your retirement target into a coordinated 2026 contribution plan across employer, HSA, IRA, and self-employed accounts without exceeding shared limits.
Next: Bring the retirement target and annual savings requirement calculated in Step 3.
Read guideStage 5: Accelerate Your Growth
Increase your wealth velocity through bigger goals and advanced tradeoffs.
Step 9: Invest through a taxable brokerage account
Build flexible, purpose-driven wealth outside retirement-account rules while managing taxes, broker costs, and an automated investing system.
Next: Confirm high-interest debt, the full emergency reserve, and the Step 8 retirement contribution plan are on track.
Read guideStep 10: Choose between low-interest debt payoff and investing
Compare guaranteed interest savings, liquidity, and uncertain investment growth before accelerating a mortgage or adding more real-estate exposure.
Next: Confirm the full emergency reserve is funded and Step 4 high-interest debt is eliminated.
Read guideStage 6: Create Your Legacy
Use wealth to create freedom, opportunity, and long-term impact.
Step 11: Build a legacy that starts with stability
Protect your own late-life foundation, coordinate how each asset passes to heirs, and create family opportunity with clear legal, tax, education, and giving decisions.
Next: Confirm retirement income, emergency reserves, debt, insurance, healthcare, long-term-care needs, and housing are sustainable.
Read guideUse quick references when you need a refresher
The Blueprint lessons teach the full decision. These focused guides help you revisit a supporting concept quickly.
Debt Paydown Guide
Compare Snowball and Avalanche payoff methods and choose the strategy that keeps you moving.
Read guideMoney Flow Guide
Build a cash-flow system where bills, debts, reserves, savings goals, credit cards, investment transfers, and recurring fund purchases each have a job.
Read guideTax Advantaged Accounts
Understand account types, contribution order, active investing reminders, and tax-aware retirement decisions.
Read guideInvesting Basics
Understand index funds, ETFs, target-date funds, diversification, and long-term investing habits.
Read guide3 Bucket Retirement
See how taxable, tax-deferred, and tax-free accounts work together in retirement planning.
Read guideFIRE
Compare FIRE paths from Lean FIRE to Fat FIRE, with Coast FIRE milestones and tradeoffs.
Read guideKeep trusted resources close
Use the Resource Library for books, tools, accounts, and platforms that can support the Blueprint without replacing the decision process.
Resource Library
Browse trusted books, tools, accounts, and platforms for building financial confidence.
Practice with calculators
Use quick estimates to make the next Blueprint decision more concrete, then turn the result into your free plan.
Compound Interest
Blueprint Steps 6 and 9: estimate growth from starting balance, recurring purchases, and return assumptions.
Open calculatorRetirement Target
Blueprint Step 3: estimate the portfolio target needed to sustain your lifestyle in today dollars.
Open calculatorDebt Payoff
Blueprint Step 4: compare Avalanche and Snowball payoff methods, interest, and debt-free timing.
Open calculatorRoth vs. Traditional
Blueprint Step 7: compare tax timing, lifetime withdrawals, RMD pressure, and a mixed account strategy.
Open calculatorEmployer Match
Blueprint Step 2: coordinate workplace contributions and see how employer money changes long-term growth.
Open calculatorDebt vs. Investing
Blueprint Step 10: quantify the tradeoff between earlier payoff, ongoing investing, and a blended approach.
Open calculatorFIRE Calculator
Supports Blueprint Steps 3, 9, and 10: model the milestones and bridge years toward independence.
Open calculator