Created by the editors at Money magazine and its Web site, Money 101
consists of electronic lessons that help you invest, save, borrow and
spend more wisely. The essentials of each lesson can be absorbed in just
10 minutes. But all lessons feature greater detail -- including
calculators, quizzes and a library of supplemental materials -- for those
who want to dig deeper.
LESSON 1
Setting priorities
Here's help for the first--and often the hardest--step in
achieving your financial goals: deciding which goals to pursue.
LESSON 2
Making a budget
How to bring your spending under control, so that you get the
most out of every dollar.
LESSON 3
Basics of banking and saving
Here's how to get the best banking services at the
best price, either online or off.
LESSON 4
Basics of investing
An introduction to making money in stocks, bonds and mutual funds.
LESSON 5
Investing in stocks
The market can be a great place to turn savings into wealth--or
to lose your shirt. Here are some fundamentals of investing wisely.
LESSON 6
Investing in bonds
Bonds can provide a steady and reasonably secure income,
while adding ballast to your portfolio--but only if you
really understand what you're buying.
LESSON 7
Buying a home
Owning your home is part of the American Dream, but if
you're not prepared, buying it can be a nightmare. Here
are some fundamentals for buyers and sellers.
LESSON 8
Investing in mutual funds
It's a mutual-fund jungle out there. Here's how to create
a simple portfolio that works.
LESSON 9
Controlling debt
You've got to know when to hold debt--and when to fold it. This
lesson shows you how to accomplish your financial goals by making
debt work for you.
LESSON 10
Employee stock options
More companies are handing out stock options, and to a much
broader group of employees. This lesson gives you vital
information on how to handle ESO's.
LESSON 11
Saving for college
It's not rocket science, just common sense. By starting early
and investing regularly, your children may have a wider choice
of colleges, and paying the bill won't hurt as much.
LESSON 12
Kids and money
Up until they start earning a living, and sometimes well beyond
that, kids are apt to spend money like it grows on trees. This
lesson will help you put your children on the road to handling
money responsibly.
LESSON 13
Planning for retirement
Achieving a comfortable retirement in the 21st Century
requires a new approach to retirement planning.
LESSON 14
Investing in IPOs
Some of the most spectacular and fastest gains ever made
in the stock market are the result of initial public offerings,
known in Wall Street parlance as IPOs. An IPO is launched when
an existing company decides to sell shares to the public.
LESSON 15
Asset allocation
The single most important thing an investor can do is
practice asset allocation. Here's how.
LESSON 16
Hiring financial help
What to keep in mind when when seeking professionals to
handle your financial planning, stock trading, insurance
coverage and tax returns.
LESSON 17
Health insurance
Whether your employer provides you with a group medical plan
or you need to buy coverage on the individual market,
understanding how health insurance works is the best way
to get your money's worth.
LESSON 18
Buying a car
Buying a car is like no other shopping experience. The
choices seem to be endless. This lesson helps you sort
through your options.
LESSON 19
Taxes
Among the long list of necessary evils we must encounter
throughout our lives, perhaps the most constant--taxes--is
also the least understood. But the whole process isn't
nearly as baffling as you may think.
LESSON 20
Home and auto insurance
Insurance is a consumer's nightmare: Costly, confusing, and
unrewarding--until you have to use it. And that's when you
often find out whether you bought the right coverage from
the right company. There is a better way to buy home and auto
insurance, and here it is. Here's how to purchase peace
of mind now--and later.
LESSON 21
Life insurance
Life insurance is critical to financial planning. It's a
necessity for anyone with dependents who would be affected
financially by your demise. Yet life insurance is one of the
hardest financial products to understand and it's sold by
agents who are sometimes more concerned with their commissions
than your needs. This Money 101 lesson is all about a better
way to buy life insurance.
LESSON 22
Futures and options
Who should consider investing in futures and options--and who shouldn't.
LESSON 23
Family law
Dealing with the financial aspects of marriage and divorce may
not always be pleasant, but it is always important.
LESSON 24
Estate planning
Americans are in the midst of one of greatest inter-generational
transfers of wealth in history, yet few of us have done any
planning for it. Here's how to start.
You can also send us an
e-mail if you have questions or comments about Money 101.