RetireReady
Maya's plan (practice copy) (switch) Money lasts to 95 At retirement (65): $1,963,261 in today's dollars Savings pool: $550/month Guaranteed income covers 72% of spending
Module 0, about 6 minutes

Your starting point, and how to use this course

Concept

Before you start, take thirty seconds to rate how confident you feel about budgeting and retirement planning, from 1 to 5. You'll answer again at the end, so you can see how far you've come.

A few habits will help you get the most from the course:

  • Estimates beat blanks. If you don't know a number exactly, use your best guess. A plan with rough numbers teaches far more than no plan, and you can refine it later.
  • Change one thing at a time. When you test an idea, change one input and watch the today's dollars figure on the ribbon. That's how you learn which levers matter for you.
  • Press the question marks. Every important number has a button that shows exactly how it was calculated, with your own figures in the formula.
  • Use the glossary. Underlined terms show a definition when you hover or tap. The full glossary is in the help center.

The course is self-paced. There's no instructor, so each lesson is built to stand on its own: a concept, an example, your numbers, a short checkpoint, and the questions other learners ask most.

Your numbers, and the effect

Rate your confidence today. There's no wrong answer.

You're in the free preview, practicing with Maya's numbers. Create an account to save a plan.

How confident do you feel?

How confident do you feel about budgeting and planning for retirement?

1 means "not at all", 5 means "very confident". You'll answer again at the end, so you can see the change.

Your answer is saved with your progress. In Module 9 you'll rate it again.

Checkpoint

Answer at least 70% correctly to unlock the next lesson. Retakes are unlimited, and every answer is explained.

Question 1

A number in your plan surprises you. What's the fastest way to see how it was worked out?

Look next to the number itself.
Question 2

What does 'today's dollars' mean on the plan ribbon?

Common questions

Can I skip around?

Each lesson unlocks when you pass the checkpoint of the one before, because each lesson adds a piece the next one relies on. You can always go back to lessons you've finished.

What do I need to have handy?

A recent pay stub (Module 1), a rough idea of your monthly spending or a few bank statements (Module 2), your account balances (Module 4), and your Social Security estimate from ssa.gov/myaccount (Module 6). Estimates are fine; you can refine them later.

What if I make a mistake in my numbers?

Change it. Every input can be edited at any time from My plan, and the course keeps snapshots at the end of each module so you can see how your plan changed.

Still stuck? Search the help center or the glossary.

Module 0 self-check

Can you explain to a friend why the course projects your plan month by month, and why it asks for your birth month and year but never the day?

Your money moves monthly: paychecks, bills, deposits. Rules also switch on in specific months: the
month you retire, the month Social Security starts, the month you reach 59 and a half. A month-by-month
projection gets those dates right, so it needs your birth month and year. The exact day doesn't change
any of the results, so the course doesn't collect it.