The short version.
I'm Joseph Citizen, the founder of ClearMoneySchool. I have a BBA in Finance and am completing an MBA with an M&A focus. I built ClearMoneySchool on the side because most personal finance content online is either condescending or selling something.
I started this site because I watched too many friends, family members, and coworkers make expensive money decisions, not because they were careless, but because nobody had ever explained the basics to them in plain English.
ClearMoneySchool started as a conversation between me and my wife Makayla; she encouraged me to build it, helped shape the early concept, and is now my co-founder and the site's HR Reviewer.
A first paycheck arrives and people don't know what FICA is. A 401(k) form gets handed out at work and people skip the match because the paperwork is intimidating. A car loan gets signed without anyone walking through what 9% interest actually costs over five years. These aren't unusual stories. They're typical. And they cost people tens of thousands of dollars over a lifetime.
The information is technically out there. It's also locked inside jargon, paywalls, sales pitches, and fifteen-tab Reddit threads. ClearMoneySchool is an attempt to put it back in plain English, free, for adults 18+ who want to understand their own financial life. Every lesson on the site applies the same lens: the Real Cost Method, which asks what a money decision actually costs over a long compounding window, typically thirty years. Real numbers, real examples, primary sources.
What we are.
- Education-only. We explain how money, investing, and the tax system work. We do not give personalized advice.
- Built around the Real Cost Method. Every spending and investing decision is shown for what it actually costs over a long compounding window, typically thirty years, not just the sticker price.
- Core lessons, free for everyone. Every core lesson on this site is free, with no paywall and no email gate on the actual content. Premium content launching in 2027 is a separate paid product for readers who want more.
- No display ads. We don't run AdSense or banner advertising. When we have an affiliate relationship with a brokerage or savings tool, we disclose it on the page where the link appears. Read the editorial standards.
- For adults. Built for readers 18+. Not directed to children under 13.
- AI-assisted, human-reviewed. We use AI to draft and explain. Every page is reviewed by me before it publishes. Our AI policy.
What we are not.
- We are not financial advisors. We are not tax professionals. We are not lawyers. Nothing on this site is personalized advice.
- We are not a brokerage, bank, or fintech app. We do not sell investments, manage money, or take commissions.
- We are not a hot-take account. We do not chase markets, recommend stocks, or make predictions about what will happen next quarter.
Why no advice.
ClearMoneySchool is education. We are not investment advisors, tax professionals, or attorneys. Nothing on the site is personalized advice. We do not know your full financial picture, your tax situation, your dependents, your timeline, or your risk tolerance. A real fiduciary does. For decisions about your specific situation, consult a licensed professional whose job is to advise you specifically.
We explain how things work, with real numbers and primary sources, so you can ask better questions of the professional you hire.
About our calculators.
We have 18 interactive calculators on the site, and every one of them shows its formula, assumptions, and limitations on the page. No black boxes. The full set lives on the Money Tools page.
Editorial standards.
Every lesson, glossary entry, and Market Pulse article on this site follows the same process:
- Outline. What is the reader actually trying to understand, and what is the simplest path to get them there?
- Draft. Written with AI assistance to move faster, then rewritten in our own voice.
- Fact-check against primary sources. Numbers come from BLS, IRS, USDA, SEC, EIA, the Federal Reserve, and academic research. Not from the first Google result.
- Edit for jargon. If a sentence requires a finance degree to understand, it gets rewritten or removed.
- Read aloud. If it doesn't sound like how a knowledgeable friend would explain it, it isn't done.
- Sign and date it. The “Reviewed by” line at the top of each piece is not automatic. It means a human read it before publication.
When we update a lesson, we update the date and add a small “updated” note. We don't quietly rewrite history. If you ever spot something wrong, email [email protected]. We read every message.
Reviewer panel.
Lessons covering HR, payroll, and benefits topics are reviewed by Makayla Citizen before publication. Lessons covering complex tax, retirement, or estate topics are flagged for CFP/CPA review (panel additions in progress). All other lessons are reviewed by Joseph before publication.
How we are funded.
ClearMoneySchool is reader-funded by an optional tip jar. Readers can chip in $5/month if a lesson, calculator, or explainer was useful. Core lessons, glossary, calculators, and Market Pulse explainers stay free for everyone. Premium content launching in 2027 is a separate paid product for readers who want more. When we have an affiliate relationship with a brokerage or savings tool, we disclose it on the page where the link appears.
A note about the names.
The site is run by Joseph and Makayla. Not a brand, not a team, not a marketing department. If you email, you'll hear back from one of us.
Contact.
Editorial, factual, or correction questions: [email protected].
Clear Money School LLC is a Texas limited liability company. Co-founded by Joseph Citizen and Makayla Citizen.