🎯 Ages 16–18+

Young Adult Finance Lab

14 interactive games covering real money decisions you'll face: student loans, ISAs, pensions, payslips, investing, credit, taxes and more. Packed with 2026/27 UK data.

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🎓

Student Loan Deep Dive

Plan 2: Should you pay it back early? Explore the real numbers.
+1 ⭐
🏠

Lifetime ISA: Your Free 25%

ISA allowance £20k/yr. LISA: save up to £4k, get £1k gov bonus (25%). How much will you save by 40?
+1 ⭐
£90,000
by age 40 (with 4% growth, £4k p.a. + 25% gov bonus)
👴

Pension from Day One

Starting at 22 vs 32: 40 years to retirement at 67. See the power of early compound growth.
+1 ⭐
Start at 22
£520,000
Start at 32
£360,000
💷

Payslip Decoder

Earn £28,000 p.a. See where every pound goes (gross, tax, NI, pension, student loan, net).
+1 ⭐
Gross salary p.a.
£28,000
÷ 12 months
£2,333.33

Monthly payslip:

💼

Side Hustle Tax Logic

Earn extra from freelance/gig work. When do you owe Self-Assessment tax?
+1 ⭐
You work part-time, earn £15k salary. From side gigs, you earn:
📋

Do I File Self-Assessment?

Quick quiz: given your income mix, do you need to file a tax return?
+1 ⭐
Scenario 1: PAYE salary £50k, no other income. File SA?
Correct: 0 / 4
🏡

Rent vs Buy: The Math

Age 25–45, £200k house, 5% deposit + LISA bonus, rent £900/mo. What costs more after 20 years?
+1 ⭐
Rent 20 years
£216,000
Buy + equity
£85,000
📈

ETF & Index Investing

Pound-cost averaging: invest £100/mo vs £1,200/yr lump sum over 20 years. Which wins?
+1 ⭐
7% avg annual return, volatility 12% p.a.
Monthly £100 (DCA)
£41,245
Yearly £1,200 lump
£40,890

Winner: Monthly DCA wins by £355 — steadier growth, less timing risk.

Quick call: which route helps a nervous first-time investor lower timing risk most?

💳

Credit Card Payoff

Borrow £2,000 at 23% APR. Compare: pay minimum vs £100/month vs £150/month
+1 ⭐
Which strategy costs least interest?
🔥

FIRE Number Calculator

Financial Independence, Retire Early: 25× rule. How much to retire at 35 or 40?
+1 ⭐

25× rule: save 25 years of living costs

Your FIRE number:
£750,000

At 7% return, withdraw ~£52k/yr forever (4% SWR)

🎯

Invest or Pay Debt?

Strategic decision: should you invest or clear debt first? Depends on rates.
+1 ⭐
Student Loan Plan 2 (3.3% interest), £5k to spare. What's smarter?
⚖️

ISA vs LISA vs Pension

Same £4k/yr for 40 years. Compare tax outcomes.
+1 ⭐

Scenario: Save £4,000/yr for 40 years at 5% growth

ISA (tax-free growth)
£631,000
LISA (+ 25% gov bonus)
£683,000
Pension (+ tax relief)
£798,000

Key: Pension wins long-term (tax relief + growth), LISA best for first home (2% bonus on deposits up to £4k/yr), ISA most flexible.

Which wrapper best fits this goal: first-home deposit in five years, saving 4,000 a year, money can stay locked?

📉

Inflation Impact

What will £10,000 buy in 30 years at 2% inflation? What if you invest at 7% instead?
+1 ⭐
£10,000 under mattress (0% return)
£5,540 today's value
£10,000 in premium bonds (0% return)
£5,540 in 30 years
£10,000 in index fund (7% return)
£76,123 in 30 years
Real return (after 2% inflation)
£42,085 in today's money

Lesson: Inflation erodes cash. Long-term stock market growth beats inflation ~4.9% net. Start investing early.

If your goal is protecting buying power over 30 years, which option gives the best chance?

🎁

Tax Allowance Hunt

Personal allowance 2026/27: £12,570 (frozen). Quick 4-question quiz on tax-free income.
+1 ⭐
Q1: Earn £12,000 salary. Tax bill?
Score: 0 / 4
Scenario Lab

Decision rounds for the first big money trade-offs

Work through two scenario cards on emergency funds, wrappers, side-hustle records, and debt-versus-investing calls. These are designed to feel closer to real early-adult choices than a simple quiz.

Lesson pack

Work through both scenario cards to finish this round.

Replay Practice

Fresh mini-challenges every time

Shuffle three short practice cards for extra reps on student loans, tax allowances, LISAs, ISAs, debt trade-offs, and side-hustle choices without resetting your saved stars.

Parent / teacher tips

Complete all 3 cards to finish this practice set.