Tools and Articles

Take control of your finances with these free, trusted tools designed to help you plan, track and succeed. This section includes calculators, budgeting tools, credit resources and articles to support informed financial decision-making.

• Loan Simulator (Federal Student Aid)
   Compare repayment plans and estimate monthly loan payments.
  
• CSU Monthly Budget Worksheet (hyperlink to pdf doc)  
   Build a personalized monthly budget.
• Savings Goal Calculator (Calculator.net)
  Plan how much to save and how long it will take.
• Credit Card Payoff Calculator (Calculator.net)
  Estimate how long it will take to pay off credit card debt.
• Budget Tracking
   Track spending, set budgets, and manage bills.
  
• Credit Score Check (Credit Karma)
   Monitor your credit score and receive alerts.
  
• Credit Score Check (WalletHub)
   Access free credit scores and monitoring tools.
• Apartment Budget Calculator (Zillow)
  Estimate how much rent you can afford.

Articles and Learning Resources

• 25 Free Financial Literacy Tools: Master Your Money at Any Age (MoneyTalksNews, May 27, 2025)
• 10 Free Tools to Help Build your Financial Plan (Smartasset, March 18, 2026)
• Managing Money as a Young Adult (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, July 7, 2025)
• Student Banking: Getting Started (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, October 29, 2025)
• Student Loans in 2026: What Borrowers Need to Know (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, December 10, 2025)