Money · 222 lessons in the app

Money mindset, one minute at a time

The rule of 72, paying yourself first, why inflation works like a tax. These are general lessons on how people think about money. For a full personal finance course with your country's tax rules, see our sister app, Scroll: Learn Personal Finance.

Try 4 lessons exactly as they appear in the app

Money35s read

Lesson 1 of 4

The Rule of 72

Divide 72 by your annual return rate to find how many years it takes to double your money. 72 ÷ 8% = 9 years to double. 72 ÷ 6% = 12 years. Works for debt too, a 24% credit card interest rate doubles your debt every 3 years. Quick, powerful, and requires no calculator.

Source Pacioli, L. (1494). Summa de arithmetica.

Quick quiz

Using the Rule of 72, how long does it take to double your money at an 8% annual return?

Money38s read

Lesson 2 of 4

Pay Yourself First

Most people save what's left after spending. Wealthy people spend what's left after saving. The solution is automatic: on payday, transfer a fixed percentage to savings before you can spend it. You won't miss what you never see. This single habit has created more millionaires than any investment strategy.

Source Clason, G.S. (1926). The Richest Man in Babylon.

Quick quiz

What is the key principle behind 'pay yourself first'?

Money38s read

Lesson 3 of 4

Inflation: The Silent Tax

A dollar today buys less than it did 10 years ago. Inflation erodes purchasing power silently and constantly. Cash sitting in a bank account at 0.1% interest while inflation runs at 3% loses 2.9% real value per year. Not investing isn't "safe". It's a guaranteed slow loss.

Source Federal Reserve (2023). Understanding Inflation.

Quick quiz

Why is keeping cash in a 0.1% savings account during 3% inflation not 'safe'?

Money38s read

Lesson 4 of 4

Mental Accounting

People treat money differently based on where it came from or where it's going, even though money is fungible. A tax refund feels like 'bonus money' and gets spent frivolously, even though it's the same money you earned. Casino winnings feel like 'house money.' This mental accounting leads to irrational financial decisions across the board.

Source Thaler, R. (1985). Mental Accounting and Consumer Choice. Marketing Science.

Quick quiz

What is 'mental accounting' and how does it affect financial decisions?

218 more money lessons in the app

Every title here is a lesson in Scroll, with its own quiz. Five a day are free; Premium has no daily limit.

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  1. Compound Interest: The Eighth Wonder
  2. The Two Types of Income
  3. Index Funds Beat Most Fund Managers
  4. The Latte Factor
  5. The Emergency Fund Rule
  6. Dollar-Cost Averaging
  7. Net Worth: The Only Number That Matters
  8. Asset Allocation: The Most Important Decision
  9. Diversification: Don't Put Eggs in One Basket
  10. ISAs and Tax-Advantaged Accounts
  11. The Debt Avalanche Method
  12. Credit Scores Explained
  13. Lifestyle Inflation: The Silent Wealth Killer
  14. The FIRE Movement
  15. The 4% Withdrawal Rule
  16. Sunk Cost Fallacy in Investing
  17. Loss Aversion and Your Portfolio
  18. Salary Negotiation: The First Yes
  19. Rebalancing Your Portfolio
  20. Tax-Loss Harvesting
  21. Bonds: Boring and Essential
  22. Dividend Investing
  23. Value Investing: Buy £1 for 50p
  24. The Mortgage: Biggest Financial Decision Most People Make
  25. Renting vs Buying: The Real Calculation
  26. Pension: Free Money You're Leaving Behind
  27. Compound Inflation vs Compound Growth
  28. Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)
  29. The Price-to-Earnings Ratio
  30. Market Capitalisation
Show all 218 titles
  1. Bull and Bear Markets
  2. Behavioural Finance: Why Smart People Make Bad Investments
  3. The Sequence of Returns Risk
  4. Robo-Advisors: The Automated Alternative
  5. Life Insurance: Protection Not Investment
  6. Fractional Reserve Banking
  7. Central Banks and Interest Rates
  8. Quantitative Easing Explained
  9. Hyperinflation: When Money Dies
  10. Crypto: High Risk, High Reward, High Volatility
  11. IPOs: Why the First Day Isn't the Best Day to Buy
  12. Options: The Right to Buy or Sell
  13. Shorting Stocks: Profiting from Decline
  14. Margin Trading: Amplified Risk
  15. The Velocity of Money
  16. The Yield Curve
  17. Capital Gains Tax
  18. Free Cash Flow: The Real Measure of a Business
  19. Intrinsic Value and Margin of Safety
  20. Side Hustles and Income Diversification
  21. Understanding Your Payslip
  22. How to Think About Risk
  23. Warren Buffett's Core Investment Rules
  24. Mr. Market: The Mad Investor
  25. Debt-to-Income Ratio
  26. Stock Buybacks vs Dividends
  27. The Time Value of Money
  28. Hedging: Insurance for Investments
  29. Private Equity and How It Works
  30. Angel Investing and Venture Capital
  31. Currency Risk in International Investing
  32. The Small-Cap Premium
  33. Factor Investing
  34. Expense Ratios: The Fee That Destroys Wealth
  35. Recession: What Happens and How to Prepare
  36. The Psychology of Spending: Hedonic Adaptation
  37. Estate Planning Basics
  38. Inheritance Tax in the UK
  39. Modern Monetary Theory
  40. The 50/30/20 Budget Rule
  41. Interest Rate Risk in Bonds
  42. Charlie Munger's Inversion Principle
  43. The Cost of Financial Ignorance
  44. Peer-to-Peer Lending: Opportunity and Risk
  45. Commodities as Inflation Hedge
  46. The Black-Scholes Model
  47. The Financial Independence Number
  48. Opportunity Cost: The Hidden Price of Every Choice
  49. Annuities: Guaranteed Income for Life
  50. Deflation: When Falling Prices Are Dangerous
  51. The Cash Flow Statement
  52. Balance Sheet Basics
  53. Price-to-Book Ratio
  54. Charitable Giving and Gift Aid
  55. The Discount Rate and Valuation
  56. EBITDA: Useful and Often Abused
  57. The Efficient Market Hypothesis
  58. Inherited Wealth vs. Self-Made
  59. Student Loans: Is University Worth It?
  60. The Three Accounts System
  61. Global Market Diversification
  62. The Pay Yourself First Automation Stack
  63. Frugality vs. Cheapness
  64. The Psychological Contract with Money
  65. Insurance: Protecting Against Catastrophe
  66. The Final Money Rule: Money Is a Tool, Not a Goal
  67. Rich Dad, Poor Dad: The Two Philosophies
  68. The Scarcity Mindset vs. the Abundance Mindset
  69. The Role of Luck and Risk
  70. The Two Most Dangerous Words in Finance: I Deserve
  71. The Four Rules of Personal Finance
  72. Assets vs. Liabilities: The Core of Financial Literacy
  73. The Danger of Keeping Up with the Joneses
  74. Debt: Which Kind Kills You and Which Kind Builds You
  75. Time in the Market vs. Timing the Market
  76. The Cashflow Quadrant
  77. The E-Myth: Working On Your Business, Not In It
  78. Your Earning Potential Is Your Greatest Asset
  79. Real Estate: The Millionaire-Maker Asset Class
  80. The Value of a High Savings Rate
  81. Give 10%: The Paradox of Generosity
  82. Recency Bias: The Market Always Feels Like Now
  83. Overconfidence: The Most Expensive Bias
  84. Patience Is the Rarest and Most Valuable Investing Skill
  85. Financial Independence as Buying Options
  86. Understanding Your Net Hourly Rate
  87. The Wealth Multiplier Effect of Health
  88. The Philosophy of Enough: Defining Your Number
  89. The Millionaire Teacher's Investment Philosophy
  90. Starting a Business: The Fastest Wealth Multiplier
  91. Passive Income Is Never Truly Passive
  92. Negotiating Beyond Salary: Total Compensation
  93. The Power of Geographic Arbitrage
  94. Behavioral Investing: The Advisor's Real Value
  95. The Psychology of Getting a Raise
  96. Building Wealth Slowly Is Actually Faster
  97. The True Cost of a Car
  98. Think and Grow Rich: The Definitive Principle
  99. The Importance of Written Financial Goals
  100. The Millionaire Fastlane: Challenging Conventional Wisdom
  101. Scarcity and Its Tax on Cognitive Bandwidth
  102. Richer, Wiser, Happier: Studying the Masters
  103. Howard Marks: Cycles and Second-Level Thinking
  104. The Wealthy Barber: Common Sense Finance
  105. The Psychology of a Windfall
  106. The Money Conversation Most Couples Avoid
  107. Your Money Scripts: Childhood Beliefs Running Your Finances
  108. Dave Ramsey's Baby Steps: A Proven Framework
  109. Side Hustles: Testing the Market Before Quitting
  110. The Difference Between Being Rich and Being Wealthy
  111. The Funding of Your Future Self
  112. The Richest Man in Babylon: Seven Cures for a Lean Purse
  113. Peter Lynch: Invest in What You Know
  114. Ray Dalio's All Weather Portfolio
  115. The Permanent Portfolio
  116. The Zweig Approach: Don't Fight the Fed
  117. Benjamin Graham's Net-Net Strategy
  118. Mohnish Pabrai: The Art of Cloning
  119. The Psychology of Getting Out of Debt
  120. The Bogleheads' Philosophy
  121. Joel Greenblatt's Magic Formula
  122. The Safe Withdrawal Rate and Its Limitations
  123. Robinhood and the Gamification of Investing
  124. Understanding CAPE: The Shiller P/E
  125. Nick Sleep and the Concept of Destination Analysis
  126. Buffett's Circle of Competence
  127. The Power of Good Accounting: Reading Financial Statements
  128. The Lifestyle Business vs. the Scalable Startup
  129. The Saver's Paradox: Consumption Drives the Economy
  130. Concentrated vs. Diversified: When to Break the Rules
  131. The Courage to Be Contrarian
  132. The Extraordinary Power of the HSA
  133. Negotiating Real Estate: Buying Below Market
  134. The Infinite Banking Concept
  135. The High-Income Skill Stack
  136. The 'Pay to Play' Investment Categories
  137. The Freelancer's Pricing Trap
  138. The Economics of Renting vs. Owning a Business
  139. Building Wealth in a High-Tax Environment
  140. The Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS) Hedge
  141. Private Lending: Becoming the Bank
  142. The Anti-Lottery: Why Lottery Playing Is Financially Irrational
  143. The Simple Power of Tracking Every Dollar
  144. Supply and Demand: The Economics Every Earner Needs
  145. The Roth Conversion Ladder
  146. Human Capital vs. Financial Capital Across a Career
  147. Escaping the Wage Cage
  148. The Millionaire Mind: How Rich People Think
  149. Rental Income: The Math Behind the Decision
  150. The Taxman Cometh: Understanding Your Marginal Rate
  151. Sovereign Wealth: Learning from National Funds
  152. The Qualified Opportunity Zone Strategy
  153. The Four Pillars of Investing
  154. The Danger of Chasing Yield
  155. Rent Control Economics and the Investor's Lens
  156. The Importance of Your CFO: Hiring Financial Help
  157. Behavioral Gaps: Why Average Investors Underperform
  158. The Enduring Lesson of the Tulip Mania
  159. The Psychological Price of Consumer Debt
  160. Financial Literacy and the Gender Wealth Gap
  161. The Art of the Pivot: Adapting Financial Plans
  162. The Total Return Approach to Income Investing
  163. Dollar Endowments and Becoming a Microangel
  164. Health Insurance as a Wealth Protection Tool
  165. Donor-Advised Funds: Giving Intelligently
  166. The 1031 Exchange: Real Estate's Best Tax Tool
  167. Pre-Tax vs. Roth: The Core Decision
  168. The Dark Side of Financial Goals: When Ambition Becomes Obsession
  169. How Millionaires Actually Live
  170. The Four Stages of Financial Independence
  171. The Wealth Thermometer: Matching Money to Meaning
  172. The Spending Audit: Where Does Your Money Actually Go?
  173. Index Funds Across Asset Classes
  174. The Retirement Income Floor
  175. Liquidity: The Underrated Financial Asset
  176. Understanding Stock Compensation
  177. Appreciating vs. Depreciating Assets: The Critical Sort
  178. Behavioral Economics and How Merchants Extract Your Money
  179. The Parable of the Mexican Fisherman
  180. How Social Security Actually Works
  181. Thinking in Bets: Financial Decisions Under Uncertainty
  182. The Index Card: Everything You Need to Know
  183. The Long View: Financial History as Perspective
  184. Negotiating with Vendors and Service Providers
  185. The Startup Fundraising Mindset Applied to Personal Finance
  186. The Great Wealth Transfer and Its Implications
  187. The Prosperity Gospel's Financial Danger
  188. Contentment as a Financial Strategy

About the money lessons

Is this financial advice?

No. The money lessons explain general ideas with worked numbers. They don't know your circumstances, so they can't tell you what to do with your money.

Where can I learn personal finance in more depth?

Scroll's sister app, Scroll: Learn Personal Finance, has 950+ money lessons set up for your country's rules, plus free calculators at scrollfinance.app.

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