Guides

Personal finance

Accounts, milestones and tools for building wealth step by step. Start at 01.

• 01

  Every account type explained, with 2026 limits

  Checking, high-yield savings, 401(k), IRA, HSA, 529 and brokerage accounts: what each is for, the catch, and how much you can put in this year.

• 02

  The 7 money milestones, in order

  A step-by-step order for building financial security, from knowing your numbers to financial independence, and why the order matters.

• 03

  The best free tools for researching stocks and ETFs

  Free sites worth bookmarking, organized by job: checking a fund's holdings, reading company filings, charting, screening and economic data.