Pathway: Starting Your First Job

How to use this pathway

The sequence connects lessons, tools, and practice. It does not require completion in order and does not track progress.

1. 1

   Gross Pay vs. Net Pay

   Establish the difference between stated earnings and take-home pay.

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2. 2

   Reading a Pay Stub

   Read common earnings, deduction, and year-to-date sections.

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3. 3

   How Tax Withholding Works

   Separate paycheck withholding from the later tax calculation.

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4. 4

   Workplace Benefits and Employer Match

   Review deductions, contributions, match formulas, and plan documents.

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5. 5

   First Job Paycheck Planner

   Model a fictional paycheck after the paycheck lessons.

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6. 6

   Pay Stub Decoder

   Build a fictional statement and trace its lines.

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7. 7

   Withholding Impact Explorer

   Compare two user-entered withholding assumptions without calculating a tax return.

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8. 8

   Job Offer Comparison Tool

   Compare entered compensation and recurring cost assumptions.

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9. 9

   Cash Flow Basics

   Connect deposited pay with monthly inflow and outflow.

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10. 10

    Building an Emergency Fund

    Review cash-buffer purposes and model limits.

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11. 11

    Understanding Subscription Costs

    See how recurring costs combine across a year.

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12. 12

    Student Loan Basics

    Review principal, interest, payment, and term.

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13. 13

    Money Moves Quiz

    Practice the concepts through short scenarios.

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