Why this exists
Good financial advice is expensive, and the people who need it most usually can't afford it. A financial advisor typically charges $200–$400 an hour or a percentage of assets they manage — a real barrier for someone just starting out, paying down debt, or figuring out their first credit card.
Meanwhile, most of the free financial content online is either an ad in disguise (comparison sites paid by the companies they "recommend") or so generic it doesn't actually help you make a decision. Ordinary Money was built to fill that gap — plain-English tools and explanations, built for people who've never had someone sit down and explain this stuff to them.
The idea is simple: the math and information advisors charge by the hour to explain isn't secret. It can be built into free calculators and clear guides instead — so anyone can use it, whether or not they can afford to pay someone.
Who this is for
This site is built for the first-generation college grad trying to figure out student loans without a family playbook to follow. The person who just got their first credit card and isn't totally sure how interest works. The 35-year-old who feels behind on retirement and doesn't know where to start. Anyone who's Googled a money question at 1am and landed on an article that was clearly trying to sell them something.
If you've ever felt like personal finance content assumes you already understand the basics — or assumes you have money to invest before it'll talk to you — this is built for you instead.
How it stays free
Ordinary Money doesn't run ads, take referral fees from banks or credit card companies, or sell any financial products. There's no premium tier and no upsell waiting at the end of a calculator.
No adsNo one paid to be recommended here.
No referral feesNothing here links to a paid partnership.
No account requiredNothing to sign up for, nothing to abandon.
Your data stays yoursCalculators save to your device only — nothing is sent to a server.
That also means this project doesn't have a large team or a marketing budget behind it — it's kept intentionally simple so it can stay free indefinitely.
Who's behind this
Patrick Coleman
Creator of Ordinary Money · Economics & Mathematics student, University of Virginia
I built Ordinary Money because I believe everyone deserves access to basic financial education and a real path toward financial freedom — not just the people who can already afford to pay for advice. Studying economics and math has shown me that most of what makes personal finance feel intimidating isn't actually complicated; it just rarely gets explained clearly or for free. This site is my attempt to fix that.
Alongside this, I'm building a more advanced investment tracking app as a separate project. If that sounds useful to you, get in touch and I'll let you know when it's further along.
What this isn't
Not licensed financial, tax, or legal advice. Ordinary Money is an educational resource. The calculators and guides are built to give you accurate, honest information and a place to start — not to replace a conversation with a qualified financial advisor, accountant, or attorney for decisions specific to your situation. When in doubt on something big (a major investment, a tax filing question, a legal matter), verify with a licensed professional.