Personal Finance Decision Tree

52 concepts organized by true dependency order - the financial knowledge graph behind every dollar decision.

Why This Exists

The Reddit r/personalfinance Prime Directive is a great flowchart - it tells you what to do in what order. But it doesn't tell you why. This decision tree layers conceptual understanding beneath every action step so you can adapt when your situation doesn't match the flowchart.

Personal finance advice is full of rules of thumb - "always pay off high-interest debt first," "save 15% for retirement," "buy index funds." These rules work for most people most of the time. But when you understand the math underneath, you can make better decisions at the margins where the generic advice breaks down.

A knowledge graph for understanding your money, not just following instructions.

How It Works

Concept Nodes, Not Checklist Steps

Each node teaches one concept with real prerequisites. "Pre-Tax vs Post-Tax" requires understanding "Tax Brackets" and "Compound Interest" first - because without those, the Roth vs Traditional decision is just memorized dogma.

Non-Linear Paths

You can go deep on real estate without touching options, or deep on tax strategy without touching real estate. The graph shows what actually depends on what - not a one-size-fits-all sequence.

Difficulty Calibration

Level 1 is budgeting and compound interest. Level 5 is business entity tax optimization and alternative investments. Enter wherever your current knowledge puts you.

Where to Start

If you're starting from scratch, these foundation concepts unlock everything downstream:

Compound Interest

Exponential growth over time. The Rule of 72. Why starting early dominates starting big.

Budgeting

Tracking and allocating every dollar. Zero-based budgeting, 50/30/20 framework, envelope methods.

Opportunity Cost

Every dollar has exactly one best use. The hidden cost of every financial decision - what you give up by choosing this over that.

Income & Expenses

Cash inflows vs outflows. Fixed vs variable costs. The operating statement of your personal finances.

Bank Accounts

Checking, high-yield savings, CDs, money market. FDIC insurance. Where to park cash and why.

Net Worth

What you own minus what you owe. The single number that summarizes your financial position. Assets minus liabilities.

Based On

The ordering follows the r/personalfinance Prime Directive - the community-maintained flowchart that has helped millions of people get their finances in order. Restructured here as a knowledge graph with conceptual foundations layered underneath each action step.