The simple money habits
no one taught you.
School teaches calculus. It doesn't teach what to do with your first paycheck — or how a 401(k) actually works. Michael West Financials helps teens and young adults catch up, in plain English, at their own pace. One-on-one coaching, free comprehensive guides, no jargon, no sales pitch.
Coaching that starts where you are.
Three sessions, in any order, designed to compound. Bring a paystub, a question, or just curiosity — we'll work from there.
Build a budget
Walk through real expenses together and leave with a budget you'll actually keep — not a spreadsheet that dies in two weeks.
Ways to save
Take that budget further. Where to park cash, how high-yield savings actually works, and the difference between saving and hoarding.
Prepare to invest
What investing actually is, the vehicles available to you, and how to find the right resources when you're ready to put dollars to work.
See what your match is worth.
An employer-plan match — 401(k), 403(b), TSP, or 457(b) — is part of your pay, and under-contributing means walking past it. Punch in your salary and contribution percentage; we'll show what the gap costs over a decade.
Slow-cooked advice in a fast-food world.
Plain English
Every term gets defined. No assumed knowledge.
Judgment-free
Bring your real numbers. Wherever you're starting is the right place to start.
No sales pitch
We don't sell products or take commissions.
Long horizon
Habits compound. So does the work we do together.
Comprehensive, no fluff.
Long-form, plain-English breakdowns of the retirement accounts most people meet at their first real job — and most people misunderstand for years.
Guide to First Paycheck
Walk away knowing exactly where every dollar of your first paycheck goes — what's withheld, what's yours, and where to put what's left.
Read the guide → Guide · 13 min readGuide to Money Order of Operations
Always know where your next dollar should go — a nine-step order covering the match, high-interest debt, the emergency fund, Roth, 15%, and goals beyond.
Read the guide →Bring a question.
Leave with a plan.
Sessions are friendly, judgment-free, and built around what you actually need. Send a quick message about what you'd like to cover and we'll find a time that works.