Module 1 — Your First Paycheck

How much will you earn?

Enter a salary to see exactly what happens to your money before it hits your bank account. You offered $55,000? Let's see what you actually take home.

$
How often will you be paid?
What state will you work in?
Step 2 — Taxes

Here's what the government takes

Before you see a single dollar, taxes come out automatically. This is what your paycheck looks like after withholdings.

Step 3 — Benefits Decision

Pick your health insurance

Your employer offers three plans. Cheaper monthly = higher costs when you actually need care. This is the trade-off most people don't understand until they get a $5,000 bill.

Basic
Bronze Plan
$85
per paycheck
  • Deductible$6,000
  • Copay$50
  • Coverage60%
  • Annual max$8,550
Standard
Silver Plan
$145
per paycheck
  • Deductible$2,500
  • Copay$30
  • Coverage80%
  • Annual max$5,500
Premium
Gold Plan
$210
per paycheck
  • Deductible$500
  • Copay$15
  • Coverage90%
  • Annual max$3,000
💡
The real math: If you go to the doctor 3x/year and have one ER visit, the Silver Plan saves you ~$2,100 compared to Bronze. Premium only beats Silver if you have 5+ doctor visits or a major procedure.
Step 4 — Retirement

How much to save for retirement?

Your employer matches 50% of what you contribute, up to 6%. That's free money you lose if you contribute 0%. But more now means less in your paycheck today.

6%
$126.92 per paycheck
0% 6% (max match) 15%
Your contribution
$0
$0/year
Employer match
$0
50% match up to 6%
In 30 years at 7% avg return
$0
💰
Free money alert: At 6%, your employer adds $0/year to your retirement. Skip this and you're leaving that on the table every single year.
Step 5 — Direct Deposit

Where should your money go?

Most people dump everything into checking and wonder where it went. Smart move: auto-split a portion into savings before you can spend it.

Checking
Savings
0% (all checking) 50% (half to savings)
After 1 year in savings
$0
Your paycheck breakdown

Here's what you actually take home

Every line below is a decision someone made for you, or that you just made yourself. Now you know exactly where your money goes.

Employer Inc.
Biweekly paycheck
Pay Period
26 pay periods/year
Gross Pay
$0.00
Your Take-Home Pay
$0.00
deposited to your accounts
Where your paycheck goes
Annual Summary
Build your budget →