Free financial education
Four principles that explain most of what happens to a family's money. Nobody teaches them in school — so let's cover them here, in plain English.
A short film on the principles that decide whether a family builds wealth or just gets by. Watch it here, then let's talk about how it applies to your situation.
Figures as of August 2026
Principles matter more than headlines, but today's numbers show why they matter. Here's the current landscape and what it means for a family budget.
Inflation (CPI, 12 months)
3.4%
Prices are still rising faster than most savings accounts pay. Money sitting idle loses buying power every year.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, July 2026
Average savings account APY
0.38%
The national average bank savings rate. Against 3.4% inflation, that's a real loss of about 3% a year.
Source: FDIC National Rates, August 2026
30-year fixed mortgage
6.67%
What a typical home loan costs today — a big reason to protect the mortgage with the right coverage.
Source: Freddie Mac PMMS, Aug 13, 2026
10-year Treasury yield
4.25%
The benchmark 'safe' rate. It shapes what you earn on conservative money and what you pay to borrow.
Source: U.S. Treasury daily yield curve, 2026
Fed funds rate
4.33%
Sets the tone for credit card, auto, and personal loan rates. High-rate debt should be attacked first.
Source: Federal Reserve (FRED), 2026
S&P 500 long-run average
~10%/yr
The historical average annual return since 1957, before inflation. Time in the market, not timing it, is what compounds.
Source: S&P Dow Jones Indices, historical
Rates and returns shown are national averages published by the sources listed and are for education only. They are not a quote, a prediction, or a guarantee of future results. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
Every year you wait costs more than the year before.
Time is the one ingredient in building money that you can't buy back. Someone who starts putting money away in their twenties can end up far ahead of someone who saves more per month but starts a decade later — because the early dollars have more years to grow. Waiting isn't neutral; it has a price tag.
See the videoSave off the top, not off the leftovers.
Most people pay every bill, spend what's comfortable, and save whatever survives — which is usually nothing. Flip the order: move a set amount into savings or an investment the day you get paid, then live on the rest. Automate it so the decision only has to be made once.
See the videoDivide 72 by your rate of return to see how long money takes to double.
At 3%, money doubles about every 24 years. At 6%, about every 12. At 9%, about every 8. It's rough math, but it makes the difference between rates painfully clear — and it works in reverse too, showing how fast inflation or credit card interest works against you.
See the videoGrowth on your growth is where the real money is made.
Simple interest pays you on what you put in. Compound interest pays you on what you put in plus everything it has already earned. Over decades that snowball does more of the work than your contributions do — which is exactly why starting early matters so much.
See the videoHow long it takes money to roughly double at different rates of return.
| Rate of return | Time to double |
|---|---|
| 1% | 72 years |
| 3% | 24 years |
| 6% | 12 years |
| 9% | 8 years |
| 12% | 6 years |
Illustrative only. Rates of return are not guaranteed and actual results will vary.
Over 30 million copies of this financial education guide and its predecessor have been printed since 1983. It covers the same principles above in more depth — and it costs nothing. Request your digital copy, then email me at imaness@primerica.com and we'll walk through what it means for your household.
Send me a note and we'll turn these principles into a plan that fits your budget.
imaness@primerica.com