MWM Financial Awareness
MWMFinancial Awareness
Journeyman Joe
“Every lesson is built for the real world of trade work.”

Financial Literacy Curriculum

13 free lessons organized into a structured learning path — from foundational basics to long-term planning.

How this curriculum is structured

Start with Foundations, then move through the lessons in order to build long-term financial confidence and stability. Each track builds on the last — by the time you finish, you'll understand your paycheck, control your cash flow, eliminate debt, maximize your union benefits, and invest for the future.

1. Foundations
2. Budgeting & Cash Flow
3. Debt & Credit
4. Union Benefits
5. Investing Basics
6. Retirement & Long-Term Planning
7. Financial Protection

Educational purposes only. All lessons provide general financial education and are not individualized financial, tax, legal, or investment advice. Individual circumstances vary. Consult a qualified professional before making financial decisions.

Track 1

Foundations

2 lessons

Start here. The fundamentals every worker needs before anything else.

1.1
🧾
Beginner

Understanding Your Paycheck

Learn where your money goes before it hits your account — gross pay, deductions, taxes, and how to read every line on your pay stub with confidence.

9 minFoundations
1.2
🛡️
Beginner

Building Your Emergency Fund from Zero

An emergency fund is the financial firewall that keeps one bad week from becoming a disaster. Learn how to build one in stages, even on a tight budget.

10 minFoundations
Next track:Budgeting & Cash Flow
Track 2

Budgeting & Cash Flow

2 lessons

Take control of your monthly money — income, expenses, and the seasons in between.

2.1
📊
Beginner

Budgeting Basics: The 50/30/20 Rule

A simple three-bucket framework that gives you structure without tracking every penny. Learn how to apply it to your actual take-home pay.

10 minBudgeting & Cash Flow
2.2
🔧
Beginner

Budgeting During Slow Periods

Overtime can feel like the new normal — until it disappears. Learn how to build a budget off base pay and build a reserve that protects you when work slows down.

11 minBudgeting & Cash Flow
Next track:Debt & Credit
Track 3

Debt & Credit

3 lessons

Understand and eliminate debt, then protect your credit score.

3.1
⚠️
Beginner

Credit Cards & Debt Traps

Credit cards, car loans, tool financing, buy-now-pay-later — learn how these products really work and how to avoid the traps that keep workers stuck in debt.

12 minDebt & Credit
3.2
⚡
Intermediate

Crushing Debt: Avalanche vs. Snowball

Two proven strategies for paying off multiple debts. Learn which method saves the most money, which keeps you motivated, and how to pick the right one for you.

12 minDebt & Credit
3.3
💳
Beginner

Credit Scores Demystified

Learn exactly what makes up your credit score, what hurts it, what helps it, and how to strategically improve it — in real dollar terms.

11 minDebt & Credit
Next track:Union Benefits
Track 4

Union Benefits

1 lesson

Your hourly rate is only part of what you earn. Know what you have.

4.1
🤝
Beginner

Understanding Your Union Benefits

Your total compensation is more than your hourly wage. Pension, annuity, healthcare, disability — learn what you have, what it means, and what questions to ask.

14 minUnion Benefits
Next track:Investing Basics
Track 5

Investing Basics

3 lessons

How money grows over time — compound interest, index funds, and getting started.

5.1
📈
Beginner

The Power of Compound Interest

Starting 10 years earlier can more than double your retirement wealth at the same monthly contribution. Learn why time is the most powerful variable in investing.

12 minInvesting Basics
5.2
📉
Beginner

Stock Market 101: Start Here

What stocks are, why the market exists, how everyday people use it to build wealth, and the most common beginner mistakes — with real worker income scenarios.

15 minInvesting Basics
5.3
🎯
Intermediate

Why Index Funds Beat Most Investors

The data is clear: passive index fund investing outperforms active stock-picking for most people. Here's why — and the fee math that makes the difference enormous over 30 years.

13 minInvesting Basics
Next track:Retirement & Long-Term Planning
Track 6

Retirement & Long-Term Planning

1 lesson

Build the accounts and habits that create lasting financial stability.

6.1
🏦
Intermediate

Roth IRA vs. Traditional IRA: Which Wins?

Two retirement accounts, same contribution limit, very different tax treatment. Learn which one benefits you based on where you are in your career.

11 minRetirement & Long-Term Planning
Next track:Financial Protection
Track 7

Financial Protection

1 lesson

Protect what you have built — housing decisions and long-term resilience.

7.1
🏠
Advanced

Home Buying: Are You Really Ready?

Renting vs. buying is more nuanced than most people think. This lesson covers every financial factor — true costs, credit, down payments, and the pre-buy checklist.

18 minFinancial Protection
Journeyman Joe

Not sure where to start?

Joe recommends starting with Track 1 — Foundations. Understanding your paycheck and building an emergency fund are the two moves that make everything else possible.

Start Track 1