Skip to main content

FinanceFirst: independent financial education

Make the next money decision with evidence.

Source-backed guides, transparent calculators, and original household-finance research, built to make the tradeoffs clearer.

Explore the decision deskSearch the library
Two adults reviewing household finances at a table with a laptop and printed statement.

Featured resources

Find a guide, report, calculator, or definition.

Search FinanceFirst guides, reports, calculators, and definitions to make informed money decisions.

Trending searches
5 suggestions available.

A practical financial education library

guides
112
calculators
12
original reports
13
glossary terms
109

Choose the decision in front of you.

Evidence for decisions that deserve a closer look.

Browse all research
FinanceFirst Financial Fraud in America 2026 research cover with 2025 FBI IC3 figures and four analytical lenses

Research report

Financial Fraud in America 2026: State Loss Rates, Income, Age and Scam Type

FBI IC3 recorded 1,008,597 complaint reports and $20.877 billion in reported loss during 2025. This report calculates population-adjusted state rates from the FBI and Census inputs, documents the different roles of FTC Consumer Sentinel, CFPB complaint and FinCEN SAR data, and provides a state dashboard and direct reporting routes. Complaint systems are not combined, state patterns are not causal, and the rankings do not measure total fraud prevalence.

Read the report

Model the decision before you make it.

Change the inputs, review the assumptions, and compare the result with your own circumstances.

Browse all calculators

Calculator

Compound Interest Calculator

Calculate how your money grows over time with compound interest -- model recurring contributions, compounding frequency, fees, and inflation to see your real future balance.

Open the calculator

New across the FinanceFirst desk

An adult checks a phone beside a tray of envelopes and a wall calendar before leaving home.

Guide

How Checking Accounts Work: Fees, Holds, Overdrafts and Safer Setup

Choose and manage a checking account by its real annual cost, deposit access, balance rules, overdraft outcomes, insurance, and day-to-day controls.

11 min read

Explore all topics

Trust should be visible, not implied.

Sources

Material financial claims link to primary or authoritative sources.

Method

Research explains its inputs, assumptions, and limitations.

Independence

Commercial relationships do not control editorial conclusions.

Corrections

Readers can report an issue and substantive errors are corrected transparently.

Useful before impressive.

FinanceFirst publishes research, tools, and explanations designed to make a real financial decision clearer.

— Asim Ahmad, Founder and Editor

Use the data, cite the work, and check the method.

Explore original FinanceFirst reports with downloadable data, methodology notes, and source links.

Open the research library