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A Young Adult’s Guide to the Galaxy

Full Curriculum

From your first paycheck to your first lease and the decisions that come next: explore all 22 sections and 211 curriculum items, in course order.

Select a section below to see its complete lesson list.

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Start Here
  1. Welcome to the Galaxy!
Module 1 — Money, Decisions & Your Financial Life
  1. Money as a Connected System: Earn, Spend, Save, Borrow, Protect, Invest
  2. Money Is Really About Choices
  3. Every Choice Has a Trade-Off
  4. Give Your Money Somewhere to Go
  5. Future You Is Also You
  6. Build Options Not Perfection
Module 2 — Banking & Managing Your Money
  1. First Paycheck Joy
  2. Where Your Money Lives
  3. Savings Accounts Overview
  4. Is Your Money Protected?
  5. Moving Money Without Getting Lost
  6. Understanding Your Account Balance
  7. Checking Account Costs
  8. Bank Account Management
Module 3 — Budgeting That Works in Real Life
  1. Budgeting Is a Plan, Not a Punishment
  2. Gross Pay vs Take-Home Pay
  3. Building a Budget — Understanding Expenses
  4. Cash-Flow Timing and Due Dates
  5. Bill Calendars, Payment Reminders and Automatic Payments
  6. Sinking Funds and Planning for Irregular Expenses
  7. The 50/30/20 Budgeting Framework
  8. Spending Audits Without Shame
Module 4 — Credit 101
  1. What Credit Is and Why It Exists
  2. Credit Reports vs. Credit Scores
  3. Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion
  4. Why Credit Reports and Scoring Models Differ
  5. Five Credit Scoring Factors
  6. Hard vs. Soft Credit Inquiries
  7. How Different Lenders Use Different Credit Scoring Models
  8. Where Credit Information Can Matter Beyond Borrowing
  9. Checking Reports, Freezing and Disputing
  10. Building Credit Without Treating Debt as the Goal
Module 5 — Credit Cards: Tiny Piece of Plastic, Giant Contract
  1. How the Account Works
  2. Statement Versus Current Balance
  3. Billing Cycles, Due Dates and Grace Periods
  4. APR and Interest
  5. Minimum Payments and Repayment Time
  6. Limits and Utilization
  7. Fees, Cash Advances and Balance Transfers
  8. Secured Cards and Authorized Users
  9. Rewards and Promotional Offers
  10. Reading Key Card Disclosures
  11. Consequences of Persistent Balances
Module 6 — Loans, Debt & Buy Now, Pay Later
  1. Principal, Interest, APR and Term
  2. Installment Versus Revolving Debt
  3. Secured Versus Unsecured Debt
  4. Fixed Versus Variable Rates
  5. MONTHLY PAYMENT VS. TOTAL COST
  6. PERSONAL LOANS AND BUY NOW, PAY LATER
  7. CO-SIGNING AND SHARED LIABILITY
  8. DEBT-TO-INCOME
  9. HIGH-COST BORROWING AWARENESS
  10. APPRECIATING VS. DEPRECIATING ASSETS
  11. WHY GOOD DEBT AND BAD DEBT IS TOO SIMPLISTIC
Module 7 — Paying for Education & Student Loans
  1. Education and Training: What Are You Really Buying?
  2. Grants and Scholarships: Money You May Not Have to Borrow
  3. Federal vs. Private Student Loans: Same Money, Different Rules
  4. Subsidized vs. Unsubsidized Loans: When Does Interest Start Costing You?
  5. Principal, Interest, and Capitalization: How a Student Loan Balance Changes
  6. Total Borrowing Across Several Years
  7. Costs Beyond Tuition: What Education Really Costs
  8. Borrowing and Post-School Cash Flow: Making Room for Loan Payments
  9. Why Repayment Rules Change
  10. How to Find Current Official Student Loan Information
Module 8 — Getting the Job
  1. Career Exploration — Finding a Direction Without Having Your Entire Life Figured Out
  2. College, Trades, Certifications, Apprenticeships, and Direct Entry
  3. Training Cost vs. Earning Opportunity
  4. Finding Legitimate Job Openings
  5. Reading Job Postings
  6. Resumes and Limited Experience
  7. Cover Letters When Useful
  8. References and Applications
  9. Interview Preparation and Follow-Up
  10. Networking and Professional Presence
  11. Recognizing Job Scams
Module 9 — Your Paycheck, Taxes & Where the Hell Your Money Went
  1. Hourly vs. Salary
  2. Gross Pay vs. Net Pay
  3. Pay Frequency and Overtime Concepts
  4. Reading a Pay Stub
  5. Federal, State, and Local Withholding Concepts
  6. FICA, Social Security, and Medicare
  7. W-4 Awareness
  8. W-2 vs. 1099
  9. Gig Income and Tax Responsibility
  10. Basic Filing and Recordkeeping
  11. Where to Get Current Tax Information
Module 10 — Salary Isn't Your Whole Compensation
  1. Base Pay and Variable Compensation
  2. Health Coverage
  3. Retirement Plans and Employer Match
  4. PTO and Paid Holidays
  5. Bonuses Commissions and Stock-Comp Awareness
  6. HSA FSA Basics
  7. Life and Disability Benefits
  8. Tuition Assistance
  9. Vesting and Open Enrollment
  10. Beneficiaries
  11. Total Compensation Comparison
Module 11 — How Workplaces Actually Work
  1. Email, Chat and Text Professionalism
  2. Roles, Managers and Teams
  3. Asking Good Questions
  4. Reliability and Attendance
  5. Receiving Feedback
  6. Documenting Important Matters
  7. Boundaries and Conflict
  8. Performance Reviews
  9. Raises and Compensation Conversations
  10. Internal Networking
  11. Giving Notice and Leaving Professionally
  12. Knowing When to Consult HR, Workplace Policies, or Outside Help
Module 12 — Insurance & Risk Management
  1. Why Risk Management Exists
  2. Emergency Funds vs Insurance
  3. Risk Transfer vs Risk Retention
  4. Premiums, Deductibles, Limits, and Exclusions
  5. Claims and Liability
  6. Out-of-Pocket Exposure
  7. Auto, Health, Renters, Life, and Disability Basics
  8. Comparing Policies Beyond Price
Module 13 — Fraud, Scams, Identity Theft & Digital Financial Security
  1. How Scammers Manufacture Urgency and Trust
  2. Phishing & Smishing: When the Message Is the Trap
  3. Imposter Scams, Romance Scams, Fake Checks & Payment-App Traps
  4. Employment & Investment Scams: When Opportunity Is the Trap
  5. Account Takeovers & Credential Theft: When Someone Gets Your Keys
  6. Passwords, Password Managers & Multifactor Authentication
  7. Device Security, Public Wi-Fi & Everyday Digital Safety
  8. Protecting Your Social Security Number, Identity Documents & Sensitive Information
  9. Credit Freezes & Fraud Alerts: Protecting Your Credit Identity
  10. Monitoring Your Accounts & Recognizing Suspicious Activity
  11. What to Do When Fraud Happens: Immediate Response, Reporting & Recovery
Module 14 — Contracts, Consumer Rights & Smart Decisions
  1. What Is a Contract?
  2. Signatures, Clicks & Electronic Agreements
  3. Key Terms Before You Agree
  4. Automatic Renewals, Cancellations & Free Trials
  5. Subscriptions
  6. Personal Guarantees & Hidden Financial Obligations
  7. Warranties Versus Service Contracts
  8. Return and Refund Policies
  9. Phone, Gym, and Recurring-Service Agreements
  10. Arbitration Awareness
  11. Advertising and Promotional Claims
  12. Keeping Records and Protecting Your Paper Trail
  13. Complaint and Dispute Pathways
Module 15 — Cars & Transportation
  1. Transportation Is a Total Cost Decision
  2. Buying vs. Leasing
  3. New vs. Used Vehicles
  4. Purchase Price vs. Monthly Payment
  5. Down Payments, Financing, Rates & Loan Terms
  6. Depreciation: What Your Vehicle Is Worth Tomorrow
  7. Insurance, Taxes, Fees, Fuel, Parking & Commuting
  8. Vehicle History & Inspection Concepts
  9. Routine Maintenance & Warning Signs
  10. Repair Planning
  11. Alternatives to Vehicle Ownership
  12. Selling, Trading & End-of-Lease Awareness
Module 16 — Renting Your First Place
  1. What Renting Actually Means
  2. Searching for and Comparing Rental Properties
  3. Rental Applications and Screening
  4. Deposits, Pet Fees, and Total Housing Cost
  5. Lease Term, Rent, and Utilities
  6. Roommate and Joint-Liability Concepts
  7. Reading the Lease
  8. Move-In Inspection and Photos
  9. Renters Insurance
  10. Maintenance Requests
  11. Renewal and Notice
  12. Move-Out and Deposit Return
  13. Utility Setup, Transfer, and Cancellation
  14. Rent vs. Buy — Neutral Comparison
Module 17 — Roommates, Food, Laundry & Running a Household
  1. Roommate Expectations and Written Co-Living Agreements
  2. Splitting Rent, Utilities, and Shared Expenses
  3. Guests, Noise, Cleaning, and Privacy
  4. Handling Roommate Conflict
  5. Household Supply Planning
  6. Meal Planning and Grocery Lists
  7. Unit Pricing and Food Waste
  8. Basic Food Storage and Safety
  9. Laundry Basics and Care Labels
  10. Cleaning Routines and Home Safety
  11. Recurring Household Costs
Life Navigation Interlude — Civic Basics
  1. Government Is Closer Than You Think
  2. Elections, Offices, and What Appears on a Ballot
  3. Registering and Preparing to Vote
  4. How Voting Actually Works
  5. Finding Reliable Civic Information
Module 18 — Saving, Investing & Long-Term Financial Strategy
  1. Saving vs. Investing
  2. Inflation and Purchasing Power
  3. Emergency Reserves Before Long-Horizon Risk
  4. Compound Growth and Time Horizon
  5. Risk vs. Potential Return
  6. Diversification
  7. Stocks, Bonds, Mutual Funds and ETFs
  8. Brokerage Accounts
  9. 401(k) and Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plans
  10. Traditional IRA and Roth IRA
  11. HSA Investing Awareness and 529 Plans
  12. Precious Metals and Other Asset-Category Awareness
  13. Fees, Expenses, and Financial Advisers
  14. Volatility and Market Declines
  15. Speculation vs. Investing
  16. Investment Scams
  17. Retirement Planning Frameworks
  18. How Much Should I Save or Invest?
  19. Long-Term Decision-Making and Periodic Review
Trump Accounts
  1. Who Qualifies and What Is Available?
  2. Claiming and Activating the Account
  3. Parents, Grandparents, Employers, and Other Contributors
  4. Investing and Growing the Account
  5. What Happens at Eighteen?
  6. Your Family’s Long-Term Plan
Welcome to the Galaxy
  1. Welcome to the Galaxy — Student Exercise
  2. Welcome to the Galaxy — Worked Solutions