Money 101

 Most of the lessons are accompanied by handy related information. For example, the overview section of Lesson 8 - Buying a Home, the main article is amplified by a contextual sidebar that includes a "how much house can you afford" calculator, a glossary, and a home buying test.   

Schwab MoneyWise

Initially intended to help parents educate teenagers about money, Charles Schwab's Schwab MoneyWise personal finance Web site has evolved into something far broader. This financial literacy resource is now useful for money managers of all ages and sophistication.

The site has a personal touch, which helps make an otherwise daunting subject approachable. Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz, president of Charles Schwab Foundation, a private, nonprofit financial education organization, is featured in a photo on the homepage. She writes a weekly column called "Ask Carrie" that tackles such topics as IRAs and credit ratings. Her friendly and encouraging style sets the site apart.

The clean design and various other images of real people also make the site especially appealing to a spectrum of users. The editorial content covers major life stages – from getting married and buying a home to job changes and retirement — with sound financial guidance all along the way. At the end of articles are helpful "Our Two Cents" wrap-ups that get to the heart of the subjects, with important takeaways. We also love the "News & Views" section, with exclusive Schwab surveys about how people spend their money.

Junior Achievement /American Express Personal Finance Center

This Junior Achievement online “Personal Finance Center” delineates the financial literacy basics for young people and also directs users to more online resources.

Sponsored by American Express, the Junior Achievement site’s topics educate about paychecks, career options, budgeting, credit, saving and investing, and risk management. Prominent questions labeled “family chat” can help guide parents as they talk with their offspring about these important personal finance subjects, or vice versa.

At this link, for instance, you can learn about the importance of health insurance, find out how to choose the most appropriate health insurance for you, fill out relevant worksheets – and get pointed to other health insurance information on the Web.

You can register and log in to play the Money Might challenge to test your basic financial skills – and find out where you may still need to brush up. You can also scroll through an extensive rundown of personal finance Web sites to be sure you know other Web sites available to you and where you can find more personal finance facts when you need them.

Financial Literacy Now

It should come as no surprise that one of the foremost publishers of textbooks would make a strong financial education site and Financial Literacy Now is just that. Created by McGraw-Hill in collaboration with its partners, Financial Literacy Now is a strong all-around financial education resource that includes very useful glossary of financial terms -- did you know that "xenocurrency" means "currency that trades outside its own borders"? -- and fun games and tools like the Retirement crossword puzzle.

Young Money

Written by student journalists and geared toward college students, Young Money covers personal finance, money management, entrepreneurship, careers and investing. The Web site also has plenty of financial calculators.

Dollars From Sense

This Web site from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority is an interactive manual for young adults on the basics of personal finance and investing, like inflation, diversification and retirement planning.