Recommended Resources

Budgets

YNAB is a zero-based budgeting software. I’ve tried many different budgeting tools, but this is the one we use. Learning takes some time and isn’t as shiny as others, but the core principles and functionalities are solid.

Credit & Debt

The Fair Credit Reporting Act requires credit reporting agencies to provide you with a free credit report. Currently, they are available weekly at annualcreditreport.com

Power Pay is a free tool from Utah State University Extension that can help you create a debt repayment plan. 

Credit counseling is rife with poor actors. The NFCC is an excellent resource for finding nonprofit, certified help.

Student Loans

Student Loan Planner has various calculators that can help you calculate the financial impact of different repayment plans.

Student Aid also has a loan simulator that can help model different scenarios.

Local resources

Calling 211 or visiting the 211 website is an easy way to find information about local resources, from food pantries to animal control.

Information

There are a lot of opinions and non-trustworthy sources of personal finance information. These are a few places I trust for having well-researched, fair information.

• Consumer Financial Protection Bureau for consumer education

• FINRA for investment information

None of these links are affiliate links. These are websites I regularly use personally and professionally.