Financial Literacy 101: Core Principles of Personal Finance, Career Planning, and Investing They Never Taught You by Dave Levine

You've spent 2,000 hours studying math since first grade. You can calculate the area of a rectangle, but do you know how a credit card actually works? How to invest in the stock market? Or why some people earn six figures while others struggle to pay bills? Imagine graduating college with $42,367 in debt, no job prospects, and realizing you don't even like the field you studied. This nightmare is reality for millions, but it doesn't have to be yours. This book delivers the financial education schools ignore, transforming money and career concepts into clear, actionable strategies anyone can understand. No jargon. Just real-world wisdom that works. Part I: Building Your Money Machine Learn the difference between investing and gambling. While your friends lose money on get-rich-quick schemes, you'll discover how $60/month can grow into $1 million through compound investing. Master personal finance systems that automatically build wealth. Explore stocks, real estate, crypto, and bonds—understanding real pros and cons, not hype. Part II: How Money and Careers Work The economy isn't a pizza where someone must lose for you to win—it's a pizza restaurant where we can all make more. Learn why profits signal value creation, not greed. Stop asking "What job should I get?" and start asking "What problems will I solve?" Position yourself for the AI revolution by thinking five years ahead. Part III: Your Career Success Path Follow the universal career progression: Learn → Work → Manage → Own → Scale. Discover how to learn faster using AI and YouTube than any college could teach. Know when that $100,000 degree beats a $500 certification (and vice versa). Land your first job, maximize promotions, and recognize when to jump to better opportunities. Get the unfiltered truth about starting your own business. Part IV: Design Your Complete Life Money without health and relationships leads to misery. Learn why the three pillars multiply each other's power instead of competing for your time. Master the BASE method (Brainstorm, Analyze, Strategize, Execute) to turn knowledge into action. Whether you're 17 or 70, if you don't know what an S&P 500 ETF is or how compound growth works, this book fills those critical gaps. Written with the care of a mentor who's been there, every chapter includes practical action steps you can implement immediately. Stop letting financial illiteracy limit your future. The compound growth clock starts ticking the moment you begin. Your future self will thank you for starting today.