A business is just a way to solve someone's problem for money. The easiest place to start is something you already do for fun or for free.

• Hobby: you take great photos of your friends for fun.
• Service: you offer portrait sessions for $40.
• Business: you have regular clients, a schedule, a price list and money set aside for better gear.

Ask yourself three questions. What do people already ask me for help with? What do I do that people compliment? What do I wish someone near me sold?

Demand is how many people want what you sell. When your price goes up, fewer people want it. Supply is how much you can actually sell. For a service, supply is your time.

If more people want your service than you have time for, you can raise your price. If you have empty slots, lower your price or get the word out more. Move the sliders below.

Your customers are not "everyone." The more clearly you can picture them, the easier it is to reach them and keep them.

• Who are they? Age, where they hang out, what they already spend money on.
• What do they care about most? Price, speed, quality, convenience or trust.
• When do they need you? Before school photos, game days, prom, holidays, the first of the month.
• Why would they pick you? You're closer, cheaper, faster, more reliable, or you just get their style.

• Word of mouth: do great work for your first 5 customers. They become your advertising.
• Referral reward: "Bring a friend, you both get $3 off." It turns customers into salespeople.
• Social media: post before-and-after photos (with permission). Make your price and how to book easy to find.
• Flyers: put them where your customers already are. Ask before you post on community boards. Use the flyer maker below.
• Show up: games, events and group chats you're already part of. Be helpful, not spammy.

• Keep business money separate. Use a separate envelope, account or app balance so you can see what the business really makes.
• Write down every sale and every cost. A notes app works. At the end of each week, add it up.
• Profit is what's left after costs. If you charge $15 and spend $2 on supplies, you made $13, not $15.
• Save for replacements. Tools break. Put a little aside every week so a broken tool doesn't shut you down.
• Taxes: in the U.S., if you make $400 or more in profit from self-employment in a year, you generally need to file a tax return, even as a teen. Keep your records.
• Payment apps: many require you to be 18, or to have an account set up by a parent or guardian. Cash works, but track it.

1. Grants: free money based on need. You don't pay it back. The federal Pell Grant and California's Cal Grant are big ones.
2. Scholarships: free money for grades, talents, background, community service or need.
3. Work-study: a part-time job on campus, paid through your aid.
4. Federal student loans: borrowed money you pay back, with fixed rates and protections.
5. Private loans: last resort. Usually need a co-signer and have fewer protections.

The FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is the key that unlocks almost all of these. Colleges and states use it too.

• It's free. File only at studentaid.gov. Never pay a website to file it.
• Make a StudentAid.gov account (your FSA ID) with your email and phone number.
• Have ready: your Social Security number if you have one, tax info from two years ago, and a list of colleges.
• After you file, you get a FAFSA Submission Summary. Colleges then send award letters showing what they'll give you.
• Watch your email. If a college asks for more documents ("verification"), answer quickly or your aid can be delayed.

Normally, the FAFSA asks for your parents' information. But if you're unaccompanied and homeless, or supporting yourself and at risk of becoming homeless, you can be considered independent. That means you don't need parent info, and you may qualify for more aid.

You'll need a determination. These people can confirm your situation:

• Your school district's homeless liaison (sometimes called the McKinney-Vento liaison)
• The director of a shelter or transitional housing program, or someone they choose
• A TRIO or GEAR UP program director
• A college financial aid administrator

If nobody can write it, still file the FAFSA and contact the college's financial aid office. They can do an interview with you to decide.

• If you were in foster care at any time after age 13, you count as independent on the FAFSA.
• California Chafee Grant: up to $4,500 a year for 2026–27 for current and former foster youth. You must have been in foster care at least one day between ages 16 and 18, and be under 26 on July 1 of the award year. Apply at csac.ca.gov/chafee after filing the FAFSA or Dream Act Application.
• Many California colleges have foster youth programs, like Guardian Scholars at universities and NextUp at community colleges. They can help with books, housing and food.

• In California, the California College Promise Grant can waive community college enrollment fees. Many colleges also have programs that cover more for first-time, full-time students.
• You can start at community college and transfer to a university later. It can save thousands.
• Many trade and certificate programs accept Pell Grants. Check that the school shows up when you search it on the FAFSA.
• Apprenticeships pay you while you learn a trade.

• Start local. Local scholarships have fewer applicants. Ask your school counselor, credit unions, churches, community groups and local businesses.
• Search free databases and your target colleges' scholarship pages.
• Reuse your essays. Write one strong story about your life and adjust it for each application.
• Ask for fee waivers for college applications and tests. Many students qualify.

• Stock: a tiny piece of ownership in a company. If the company grows, your piece can be worth more. If it struggles, it can be worth less.
• Bond: a loan you give to a company or government. They pay you interest. Usually safer than stocks, but grows slower.
• Mutual fund: a basket of many investments, managed for you. It's priced once a day.
• ETF (exchange-traded fund): also a basket, but it trades all day like a stock. Many have very low fees.
• Index fund: a fund that copies a whole market, like the S&P 500 (about 500 big U.S. companies). Instead of guessing which company wins, you own them all.
• Dividend: a payment some companies share with owners from their profits.

Every investment can go down. Risk is how much and how fast it can drop. Usually, investments that can grow more can also fall more.

Diversification means spreading your money out. If you own one company and it fails, you lose a lot. If you own 500 and one fails, you barely notice.

When your investment grows, next year's growth happens on the bigger amount. Over many years, that snowballs. Here's a quick rule: divide 72 by your yearly return to see how many years it takes to double. At 7%, money doubles about every 10 years.

Paper trading means making pretend trades to learn how the market works. Many brokerage apps have a practice mode. You can also just track picks in a notebook or spreadsheet.

Try the simulator below. The companies are made up, but the news works like real news: sometimes it moves a stock, and sometimes the market already expected it.

• Ask "was this expected?" Prices move on surprises. If everyone already knew the news, the price may barely move.
• Earnings reports come out four times a year. Investors compare results to what experts predicted.
• Be careful with social media hype. By the time everyone is talking about a stock, the price may already be high. Some posts are paid promotions or pump-and-dump schemes.
• Read more than one source. Check whether a headline is a fact, a rumor or an opinion.

• Custodial account (UTMA/UGMA): an adult opens it for you and manages it until you're an adult under your state's law. The money legally belongs to you.
• Custodial Roth IRA: if you earn money from a job or your own business, an adult can open a retirement account for you. Money grows tax-free for retirement. You need records of your earnings.
• Who can open it: usually a parent or legal guardian. Some brokerages allow other adults. Look for $0 minimums and no account fees.

Check-cashing stores often charge a percentage of every check. On a $600 paycheck, a 2% fee is $12. Every two weeks, that's over $300 a year.

• Look for "Bank On" certified accounts. They have low or no monthly fees and no overdraft fees. Search at joinbankon.org.
• Had trouble opening an account? Many banks and credit unions offer "second chance" checking, even if you're in ChexSystems.
• Credit unions are member-owned and often have lower fees and better loans.
• Set up direct deposit. Your pay arrives faster, and it can waive monthly fees.
• Turn off overdraft "coverage." Then your card gets declined instead of charging you a fee of $30 or more.

• Needs first: housing, utilities, food, transportation, childcare, minimum debt payments.
• Pay changes month to month? Build your budget on your lowest month. Extra in good months goes to savings.
• Pay yourself something, even $5 a week. The habit matters more than the amount at first.
• Use the "50/30/20" idea as a guide, not a rule: about half to needs, 30% to wants, 20% to savings and debt. When rent is high, needs may take more. That's normal.

An emergency fund means a surprise bill, like a car repair or a medical visit, doesn't turn into debt. Start with a goal of $500 to $1,000, then build to three months of expenses.

• Keep it separate from your spending money so you're not tempted.
• Automate it: have a small amount moved on payday.
• Tax refunds and extra shifts go straight in.

Plan your savings goal →

Your credit score tells lenders and landlords how likely you are to pay on time. Here's how the most common score (FICO) weighs things:

How to build or rebuild

• Pay every bill on time. Set up autopay for at least the minimum. This is the biggest factor.
• Keep card balances low, ideally under 30% of your limit, and lower is better.
• Secured credit card: you put down a deposit (often $200) as your limit. Use it for one small bill and pay it in full.
• Credit-builder loan: offered by many credit unions. You make payments into savings, and the payments get reported.
• Check your reports for free at annualcreditreport.com (the official site). Dispute mistakes with each credit bureau.

• Income: many landlords want rent to be no more than about one-third of your monthly income. Bring pay stubs or an offer letter.
• Credit and rental history: if your credit history is short, offer a co-signer or references from past landlords or employers.
• Documents to have ready: photo ID, Social Security card or number, pay stubs, bank statements and references.
• Application fees add up. Ask what they check before you pay, and apply only where you meet the requirements.
• Know your rights: in California, most landlords can charge no more than one month's rent as a security deposit. Rules differ by state and city.

• File even if you don't owe. Money may have been withheld from your paychecks that you can get back.
• Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC): for working people with low to moderate income. It can be worth several thousand dollars, especially with kids. California has its own CalEITC too.
• File for free through VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) sites. Search "VITA near me" at irs.gov.
• Avoid refund advance loans and tax preparers who take a percentage of your refund.

Payday loans, rent-to-own stores and paying only the minimum on credit cards are built to be expensive. Ask a credit union about small-dollar "payday alternative loans." Federal credit unions cap these at 28% APR.

See what these really cost in the calculator →

Practice spotting scams →

1. Starter emergency fund. About $500 to $1,000 in savings.
2. Get your employer's 401(k) match if there is one. If your job matches what you put in, that's an instant return on your money.
3. Pay off high-interest debt. Credit cards at 25% interest cost more than investing usually earns.
4. Build emergency savings to 3 months of expenses.
5. Invest more for retirement. A Roth IRA or more in your 401(k).
6. Invest for other goals. A regular brokerage account for things more than 5 years away.

• 401(k) or 403(b): through your job. Money comes out of your paycheck before you see it. Many employers add a match.
• IRA: an account you open yourself at a brokerage.
• Roth (IRA or 401(k)): you pay taxes now, then the money grows and comes out tax-free in retirement. Often a good fit if your income is lower now.
• Saver's Credit: lower-income workers may get a tax credit just for saving for retirement.
• No workplace plan? In California, CalSavers lets workers save through payroll even at small businesses.

• Total market or S&P 500 index funds own hundreds or thousands of companies at once.
• Target-date funds (like "2055 Fund") pick a mix for you and get safer as the year gets closer.
• Dollar-cost averaging: invest the same amount every payday, whether the market is up or down. You don't have to guess the right time.
• Watch the fees. A fund's "expense ratio" is taken every year. See how much a 1% fee can cost below.

New to stocks, bonds and ETFs? Start with the basics →

Each candle shows four prices: where it opened, the highest and lowest prices, and where it closed. The thick part is the body. The thin lines are wicks (or shadows).

A few common shapes

One candle pattern alone is a weak signal. Traders look for patterns that agree with the trend, volume and other indicators.

• Trend: higher highs and higher lows is an uptrend. Lower highs and lower lows is a downtrend.
• Support: a price level where the stock has stopped falling before, because buyers stepped in.
• Resistance: a level where it has stopped rising before, because sellers stepped in.
• Breakout: when price pushes through resistance. It's more convincing when volume is high.
• Volume: how many shares traded. Big moves on big volume matter more than big moves on light volume.

• Simple moving average (SMA): the average closing price over the last N days. The 50-day and 200-day are the most watched.
• Exponential moving average (EMA): like an SMA but gives more weight to recent days, so it reacts faster.
• Price above a rising average is a sign of an uptrend. Below a falling average suggests a downtrend.
• Golden cross: the 50-day crosses above the 200-day. Seen as a bullish sign. Death cross is the opposite.

• MACD line: the 12-day EMA minus the 26-day EMA. It shows whether short-term momentum is stronger than long-term.
• Signal line: a 9-day EMA of the MACD line.
• Histogram: the gap between the two. When MACD crosses above the signal line, some traders see it as a buy signal. Below is a sell signal.
• RSI (Relative Strength Index): a 0 to 100 scale of how fast price has been rising or falling. Above 70 is often called "overbought," below 30 "oversold." Strong trends can stay overbought for a long time.

Turn these on in the chart lab below to see them move.

• Stop-loss: a price where you'll sell to limit your loss. Many traders put it just below support. A stop order tells your broker to sell automatically if price hits it.
• Position size: how many shares you buy. A common rule is to risk no more than 1% to 2% of your account on one trade.
• Plan the exit before the entry. Write down your buy price, stop-loss and target before you trade.
• Stop orders aren't guaranteed. If a stock opens far below your stop, you'll sell at the lower price.

1. Go to finance.yahoo.com and search a company name or ticker, like a store you shop at.
2. On the quote page, open the full or advanced chart.
3. Change the chart type from line to Candle.
4. Pick a time range. Try 6 months with daily candles to start.
5. Open Indicators and add Moving Average (set it to 50, then add another set to 200), MACD and RSI.
6. Turn on Volume if it isn't already showing.
7. Use the drawing tools to mark support and resistance lines.

Yahoo Finance changes its layout from time to time, so button names may move a little.

• Revenue: total sales. Is it growing?
• EPS (earnings per share): profit divided by number of shares.
• Beat or miss: investors compare results to analysts' estimates. A "beat" is better than expected.
• Guidance: what the company expects next. A stock can fall after a beat if guidance is weak.
• Where to find them: the company's "Investor Relations" page, the 10-Q filing on SEC EDGAR, and the earnings calendar on Yahoo Finance.
• P/E ratio: price divided by earnings per share. Compare it to similar companies, not to every stock.

• Ask whether the news was already expected. Markets move on surprises.
• Separate facts (a company filed its results) from opinions (an analyst thinks it's going up).
• Watch the big picture too: interest rate decisions, jobs reports and inflation data move the whole market.
• Be very careful with "hot tips" on social media, especially about small, cheap stocks. Those are common for pump-and-dump scams.

Many investors keep a "core" of broad index funds and only use a small slice, like 5% to 10%, for individual stocks or trading. Spread across different industries, and don't let one stock grow into a huge share of everything you own.