About Money, Drawn Out

Money, Drawn Out is a free course in personal finance for beginners. Each lesson takes one money idea, from compound interest to credit scores to renting vs buying a home, and draws it out step by step, one sketch at a time.

Every lesson comes in two formats: a short video on our YouTube channel and a full illustrated write-up on this site, with the tables, assumptions and sources behind every number.

What we believe

Money should be explained, not sold. We don't recommend specific stocks, funds, cards or banks, and we don't do get-rich-quick, crypto hype or market predictions.

The honest math beats the exciting math. Plenty of videos promise that a few thousand dollars becomes a fortune. We use realistic assumptions (like a 7% average stock market return), show you exactly where each figure comes from, and point out what could go wrong.

Order matters. The lessons are built as a path. Each one builds on the one before, so if you're new, start with Lesson 1 and keep going.

Meet Sam and Alex

Sam and Alex are the two friends who appear in every lesson. They have the same age, the same job and the same salary, and they make different choices so you can see what each choice costs. They are illustrative characters, not real people, and their numbers are examples, not predictions.

How we check the numbers

Every calculation is run from the assumptions listed at the end of each lesson. Where we use data such as average credit card rates, savings rates, tax limits or survey results, we cite the original source (for example the Federal Reserve, the FDIC, the IRS or FICO) and the date. Rates and rules change, so each lesson shows when it was last updated.

Important

Money, Drawn Out is educational content. It is not financial, investment, tax or legal advice, and we are not your financial advisor. Read the full disclaimer.

Questions or corrections? Contact us. We fix mistakes quickly and gratefully.