There are people on this earth who are born financially savvy. There are others, the majority even, who need a bit of help. No matter if you’re 25 or 55; the Internet can be a great starting point for learning about financial responsibility and money management. From education websites to those with interactive calculators, there are a variety of websites aimed at teaching people how to improve their money handling skills. Here are some of the best:

1. Mint.com

Mint.com is a free service that can track your entire financial life. As long as you are happy sharing your log-in information with the site, Mint can keep track of your banking and credit card information and help you set up a budget. The website will set your budget according to your average monthly spending and then let you tweak as necessary. Look to “The ways to save” section of the website: it will compare your terms with your current lenders to other companies and show you ways that you can save by switching companies.

2. ClearCheckbook.com

This site has over 17,000 active users so you know they must be doing something right. The web app allows you to keep track of, and balance, your checkbook from anywhere in the world. Pie graphs and charts will help you keep track of your spending habits and bill pay reminders will ensure that you are never late with another credit card payment. To help you even further, the site allows you to set monthly spending limits and will alert you if you are in danger of exceeding your budget.

3. Young Money Magazine

This website is aimed at young adults and college students, aged 18 to 25. There are tons of great articles on the site that range in topics from debt to entrepreneurship. You can find links to podcasts from Young Money Radio on this site that feature interviews with young celebrities. The calculators available on the site are incredibly helpful and plentiful. Users can calculate everything from their 401Ks to their college savings.

4. Buxfer

If you share expenses with anyone, this is a website that you simply must use. Rather than sitting down with a calculator and a pile of bills every month, you can simply input your data into the website and Buxfer will tell you how much your roommates owe you for bills, rent and groceries. Anyone who relies on someone else’s half of the money to pay the bills each month needs to use this site.

5. The Motley Fool

The Motley Fool is one of the most popular investment websites on the Internet today. You’ll find financial news, educational videos, investing guides and tips for all of your investing needs. You’ll also have access to The Motley Fool CAPS: a service featuring more than two million stock recommendations submitted by over a 100,000 people.

You’re never too old to learn about sound financial management. If you have suffered in the recent recession like so many millions of Americans have, the time to learn about money is now! With these websites you are guaranteed to sign off a bit wiser than when you signed on. Try one of them or look at them all: your bank account and budget will thank you for it.
Christine Lukes is a personal finances guru and freelance blogger. She often recommends looking into cd rates for a great way to earn some interest on any cash you aren’t planning to spend immediately.