Financial Wellness Library
Build your financial literacy & capability. Check out some curated educational content organized by our Mind Over Money Financial Capability Areas.
Money Management & Spending
- Mind Over Money module on Spending and Saving (Mind Over Money)
- The Ultimate Guide to Budgeting (MoneyGeek)
- Mobile budgeting app suggestions to look into (CoPilot, YNAB, Every Dollar)
- CoPilot referral code D73GED for 2 months free
- YNAB Free Year Subscription for College Students
- Some of the best Excel/Google Sheets spreadsheets for money management (The Balance)
- Conscious Spending Plan Template (Ramit Sethi)
- How to Manage Your Money (Clever Girl Finance)
- Personal finance/budgeting guide (Reddit: r/personalfinance)
- First steps on prioritizing spending, developing a plan, budgeting, and more (The Balance: Move Your Money Forward)
Taxes
- Mind Over Money module on Taxes (Mind Over Money)
- IRS Tax Information for Students (IRS.gov)
- TaxFellows accessible tax services for Stanford students (TaxFellows.org)
Credit & Credit Cards
- How to build credit & How to raise credit score fast (NerdWallet)
- Best College Student Credit Card Reviews (MoneyGeek, NerdWallet, ThePointsGuy, The Motley Fool)
- Rewards Credit Card Advice & Resources (MoneyGeek)
Debt Repayment
- Understanding the Main Types of Debt and How to Pay Them Off (MoneyGeek)
- Guide to debt reduction (MoneyGeek)
- Debt Payoff Planner (iOS or Android app, Desktop)
- Debt Payoff Spreadsheet (Vertex42)
- Debt Payoff Calculator (Calculator.net)
- View your student loan information + debt-repayment plans (U.S. Federal Student Aid)
- Guide to Paying Down Student Loan Debt (MoneyGeek)
- The Road to Zero: A Strategic Approach to Student Loan Repayment (Access Lex)
- Fraud and Scams (CFPB)
- Building an emergency fund (CFPB)
- Insurance: What to Know (MoneyGeek)
Saving Strategies & Goals
- Where to keep your savings (The Balance)
- How to automate your savings (MoneyGeek)
- SFCU student benefits (Stanford Federal Credit Union)
- Best High-Yield Savings Accounts (Investopedia, The College Investor, SmartAsset)
- Building an emergency fund (CFPB)
Investing
- Mind Over Money module on Investing (Mind Over Money)
- Start Saving and Investing (MoneyGeek)
- Investing for Beginners (Clever Girl Finance)
- Saving and Investing for Students (SEC.gov)
- Comparing, Saving, and Investing Worksheet (CFPB)
- Where to invest (Find a brokerage) (Investopedia)
- Tips for Successful Retirement Investing (Investopedia)
- Order of Operations for Saving for Retirement (The College Investor)
- Roth IRA (Investopedia)
- ETFs (Exchange-Traded Funds) (Nerd Wallet)
- Guide to Low-Cost Index Funds (US News)
- How to Diversify with Index Funds (Investopedia)
- Prioritizing Investments (Bogleheads)
Personal Finance for Couples
- Best ways for couples to manage finances (The Wall Street Journal)
- Financial Playbook for Married Couples (MoneyGeek)
- Marriage and Student Loan Debt (Federal Student Aid)
Navigating Financial Products and Services
- Financial Professionals 101 (Mind Over Money)
- Choosing a Financial Professional (CFPB)
- COMPARE: Select a Financial Account or Product (Next Gen Personal Finance)
Car
- Car-buying guide (Investopedia)
- Leasing vs. buying a new car (Consumer Reports)
- Buy vs. lease calculator (Money Under 30)
- Uber vs. owning a car (The College Investor)
Real-Estate
- Real-estate investing guide (Investopedia)
- Another real-estate investing guide (Clever Girl Finance)
- First-time home buyer guide (Nerd Wallet)
Managing an Inheritance
- What to Do With a Large Inheritance (Investopedia)
Financial Well-Being and Psychology
- Money Scripts Assessment (Dr. Brad Klontz)
- Financial Well-Being Assessment (CFPB)
LGBTQ+ Personal Finance
- Guide to Finance for LGBTQ+ Americans (Investopedia)
- Financial Factors Impacting the LGBTQ+ Community (MoneyGeek)
- Health and Health Insurance for LGBTQ+ People (Investopedia)
- LGBTQ+ Healthcare Directory (GLMA Health Professionals Advancing LGBTQ Equality)
- Transgender health care coverage (HealthCare.gov)
- Research on money management in same-sex relationships (The Journal of Socio-Economics; Stanford sign-in through Science Direct)
Military-Affiliated Personal Finance
- US Office of Financial Readiness
- Military OneSource Personal Finance (US Department of Defense)
- The Essential Guide to Personal Financial Support for Veterans (MoneyGeek)
- Military Financial Guide to Transitioning to Civilian Life (MoneyGeek)
- Military Family Guide to Personal Finance (MoneyGeek)
Legal Disclaimer
Stanford Financial Wellness (Mind Over Money) helps students develop financial literacy and understand the importance of financial wellness by providing general information for educational purposes only. This information is not a substitute for the advice of a qualified legal, investment, financial, or tax advisor, who may determine that your individual circumstances require an approach that differs from the general information provided by Stanford Financial Wellness (Mind Over Money). If you need advice applicable to your own financial or tax situation, please consult with a qualified advisor.
Third-Party Disclaimer
Links to third-party resources are provided as a convenience for informational purposes. Neither the university nor Stanford Financial Wellness (Mind Over Money) endorses or approves any of the products, services or opinions of the entities or individuals associated with these links. The university and Stanford Financial Wellness (Mind Over Money) bear no responsibility for the accuracy, legality, currentness or content of any external site associated with the links provided.