Resources
Turn your financial dreams into reality. Resources help you set meaningful financial goals, track progress, and stay motivated as you build wealth, pay down debt, and achieve what matters most to you.
What Are Resources?
Resources are your financial goals and targets—the things you're working toward with your money. They represent future plans that require funding over time.
Resources Include:
- 💰 Savings Goals - Emergency fund, down payment, vacation
- 📈 Investment Targets - Retirement, college fund, wealth building
- 💳 Debt Payoff - Credit cards, student loans, car loans
- 🏠 Major Purchases - House, car, renovation
- 🎯 Life Goals - Wedding, business, early retirement
- 📚 Education - Tuition, certifications, courses
What Makes It a Resource?
A resource must be:
- Specific - Clear target amount
- Time-bound - Target date or timeline
- Funded Over Time - You contribute money toward it
- Measurable - Track progress toward goal
Resource vs Obligation
Resource = Money you're SAVING/BUILDING (future goal) Obligation = Money you're PAYING (recurring commitment)
Example:
- ❌ Netflix subscription → Obligation (recurring payment)
- ✅ Vacation fund → Resource (saving toward goal)
- ❌ Monthly rent → Obligation (recurring)
- ✅ House down payment → Resource (future goal)
Creating a Resource
Via Web/Mobile App
- Navigate to Resources tab
- Click/tap "Create New Resource"
- Fill in goal details
- Click "Save & Start Tracking"
Resource Details
Basic Information
Goal Name (required)
- Clear, motivating name
- Examples: "Emergency Fund", "Dream Vacation to Japan", "Student Loan Freedom"
Target Amount (required)
- How much you need total
- Can be updated as plans change
Target Date (optional)
- When do you want to achieve this?
- Helps calculate monthly contribution needed
Current Amount (optional)
- How much you've already saved
- Start from zero if beginning fresh
Priority Level (required)
- Essential, High, Medium, Low
- Helps allocate funds when you can't fund everything
Goal Settings
Funding Account (optional)
- Where is this money saved?
- Link to specific savings account
- Or track separately
Auto-Contribute (toggle)
- Automatically allocate money each period
- Set amount and frequency
Milestone Celebrations (toggle)
- Get notified at 25%, 50%, 75%, 100%
- Celebrate progress along the way
Category
- Emergency, Lifestyle, Wealth Building, Debt Payoff, Major Purchase
Tags
- Custom labels for organization
- Examples: "Family", "Tax Advantaged", "Short Term"
Example: Emergency Fund
{
"name": "Emergency Fund",
"targetAmount": 10000,
"currentAmount": 3500,
"targetDate": "2026-12-31",
"priority": "essential",
"fundingAccount": "Marcus High-Yield Savings",
"autoContribute": true,
"contributionAmount": 500,
"contributionFrequency": "monthly",
"category": "Emergency",
"tags": ["safety-net", "liquid", "priority-1"]
}
Example: Dream Vacation
{
"name": "Japan Trip 2027",
"targetAmount": 8000,
"currentAmount": 1200,
"targetDate": "2027-06-01",
"priority": "medium",
"autoContribute": true,
"contributionAmount": 300,
"contributionFrequency": "monthly",
"category": "Lifestyle",
"tags": ["travel", "family", "once-in-lifetime"]
}
Example: Debt Payoff
{
"name": "Credit Card Freedom",
"targetAmount": 5500,
"currentAmount": 5500,
"targetDate": "2026-09-01",
"priority": "high",
"goalType": "debt-payoff",
"monthlyPayment": 800,
"interestRate": 18.9,
"category": "Debt Payoff",
"tags": ["debt", "high-interest", "snowball"]
}
Tracking Progress
Visual Progress Display
Emergency Fund
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━░░░░░░ 60%
$6,000 of $10,000
On track: $500/month
Target: Dec 31, 2026 (10 months away)
Projected completion: Dec 15, 2026 ✅
Recent Activity:
+ $500 Feb 1, 2026 Monthly contribution
+ $150 Jan 28, 2026 Tax refund bonus
+ $500 Jan 1, 2026 Monthly contribution
Progress Metrics
Percentage Complete
- Visual progress bar
- Exact percentage (35.7%)
Amount Remaining
- What's left to save
- Updates in real-time
Days Until Target
- Countdown to target date
- Changes color as it approaches
Monthly Pace Required
- How much/month to hit target
- Adjusts based on current progress
Projected Completion
- Based on current contribution rate
- Updates as you save
Status Indicators
- 🟢 On Track - Will hit goal by target date
- 🟡 At Risk - Need to increase contributions
- 🔴 Behind - Missing target without changes
- ✅ Complete - Goal achieved!
Contributing to Resources
Manual Contributions
Quick Add:
- Open resource
- Click "Add Money"
- Enter amount
- Select date and source account
- Add note (optional)
- Click "Save"
From Transaction:
- Create/view transaction
- Click "Allocate to Resource"
- Select resource
- Confirm allocation
- Progress updates automatically
Automatic Contributions
Set up recurring funding:
Setup:
- Enable "Auto-Contribute"
- Set amount per period
- Choose frequency (weekly, bi-weekly, monthly)
- Select source account
- Set start date
Example Auto-Contribution:
Auto-Contribute Settings:
Amount: $500
Frequency: Monthly
Date: 1st of each month
From: Chase Checking
To: Emergency Fund
Status: Active
Next Contribution: Mar 1, 2026 ($500)
Smart Allocation
When you have money to allocate:
Priority-Based:
You have $1,000 to allocate
Suggested Allocation:
1. Emergency Fund $500 (Essential, 60% funded)
2. Credit Card Payoff $300 (High, debt reduction)
3. Japan Trip $200 (Medium, 15% funded)
[Accept] [Customize] [Skip]
Equal Distribution: Divide evenly among all active resources
Custom: Manually choose how much to each resource
Windfall Allocation
Got unexpected money?
🎉 Windfall Detected: $2,500 (Tax Refund)
Suggested Allocation:
Emergency Fund (Fill First) $1,500
Current: $3,500 → $5,000
Progress: 35% → 50%
Credit Card Payoff (High Interest) $800
Remaining: $5,500 → $4,700
Saves $152 in interest
Japan Trip (Fun!) $200
Current: $1,200 → $1,400
Progress: 15% → 17.5%
[Accept Suggestion] [Customize]
Resource Types & Strategies
🚨 Emergency Fund
The foundation of financial security.
Recommended Amount:
- Minimum: 3 months expenses
- Ideal: 6 months expenses
- Self-employed: 9-12 months expenses
Strategy:
- Calculate monthly expenses
- Multiply by 3-6 months
- Fund $500-1000/month until complete
- Keep in high-yield savings account
Example:
Monthly Expenses: $3,500
Target: $21,000 (6 months)
Priority: ESSENTIAL
Timeline: 42 months at $500/month
Status: 35% complete ($7,350 saved)
🏠 Down Payment Fund
Saving for a home purchase.
Recommended Amount:
- Conventional: 20% of home price
- FHA: 3.5% of home price
- First-time buyer: 5-10%
Strategy:
- Research home prices in target area
- Calculate down payment needed
- Set aggressive monthly contribution
- Consider high-yield savings + short-term CDs
Example:
Target Home Price: $600,000
Down Payment: $120,000 (20%)
Current Saved: $45,000 (37.5%)
Timeline: 3 years to target
Monthly Needed: $2,083
Projected: Aug 2028
Status: On track ✅
📚 Education Fund
Saving for tuition and education costs.
Recommended Accounts:
- 529 Plan (tax advantages)
- Coverdell ESA
- High-yield savings
Strategy:
- Estimate total education cost
- Use compound interest calculator
- Start early (time = compound growth)
- Review investment mix annually
Example:
Child's College Fund (Age 5)
Target: $150,000
Current: $25,000
Years Until College: 13
Monthly Contribution: $400
Expected Return: 6% annually
Projected Total: $152,000
Status: On track ✅
🚗 Major Purchase Fund
For planned big-ticket items.
Common Major Purchases:
- Car ($25,000)
- Wedding ($30,000)
- Home renovation ($50,000)
- RV/Boat ($80,000)
Strategy:
- Research actual costs
- Set realistic timeline
- Save in CD ladder for better returns
- Don't raid fund for other purposes
Example:
New Car Fund
Target: $35,000
Current: $12,000 (34%)
Target Date: Jan 2027 (11 months)
Monthly Needed: $2,091
Current Pace: $1,000/month
Status: At risk 🟡
Action: Increase to $2,100/month
🏖️ Vacation & Lifestyle
For experiences and quality of life.
Approach:
- Set aside "fun money"
- Fund after essentials
- Multiple small funds vs one large
- Use rewards points strategically
Example:
Active Lifestyle Funds:
Japan Trip 2027 $1,200 / $8,000 (15%)
New Furniture $800 / $3,000 (27%)
Concert/Events Fund $350 / $1,000 (35%)
Total Lifestyle: $2,350 / $12,000 (20%)
Monthly: $400 to lifestyle goals
💳 Debt Payoff Goals
Tracking debt elimination.
Methods:
- Avalanche: Highest interest first
- Snowball: Smallest balance first
- Hybrid: Balance approach
Example - Avalanche Method:
Debt Payoff Plan
Credit Card 1 (19.9% APR) $5,500 [PRIORITY 1]
Monthly: $800
Payoff: 8 months
Interest Saved: $650
Credit Card 2 (15.9% APR) $3,200 [PRIORITY 2]
Monthly: $200 (then $1,000)
Payoff: 19 months total
Interest Saved: $420
Car Loan (3.9% APR) $12,000 [PRIORITY 3]
Monthly: $350 (then $1,350)
Payoff: 28 months total
Interest Saved: $890
Total Debt: $20,700
Total Interest Saved: $1,960
Debt-Free Date: June 2028
📈 Investment Goals
Building long-term wealth.
Accounts:
- 401(k) / IRA
- Brokerage account
- Real estate
- Index funds
Strategy:
- Max employer 401(k) match first
- Then max Roth IRA ($7,000/year)
- Then max 401(k) ($23,000/year)
- Then taxable brokerage
Example:
Retirement Nest Egg
Target: $2,000,000 by age 65
Current Age: 35 (30 years to go)
Current Balance: $85,000
Monthly Contribution: $1,200
Expected Return: 7% annually
Projected Balance: $2,150,000
Status: On track ✅
Retirement Income: ~$86,000/year
Goal Calculator & Planning
How Much Do I Need to Save?
Calculator:
Goal Calculator
Target Amount: $10,000
Current Savings: $2,000
Target Date: Dec 31, 2026 (10 months)
Required Monthly: $800
Can you save $800/month?
→ Yes: Goal achievable ✅
→ No: Adjust target date or amount
Alternative Scenarios:
$500/month → Target: Apr 2027 (16 months)
$600/month → Target: Feb 2027 (13 months)
$1,000/month → Target: Oct 2026 (8 months)
Timeline Projector
What-If Scenarios:
Emergency Fund: $10,000 target
Current: $3,500 (35%)
Scenario 1: $500/month
Completion: Dec 2026 (10 months)
Scenario 2: $750/month
Completion: Sep 2026 (7 months)
Scenario 3: $1,000/month
Completion: Jul 2026 (5 months)
With $2,000 windfall added:
$500/month → Oct 2026 (8 months)
$750/month → Aug 2026 (6 months)
Interest & Growth
For investment resources:
College Fund: $150,000 target
Current: $25,000
Time: 13 years
At 4% return:
Monthly: $550
Total Contributions: $85,800
Investment Growth: $39,200
Final Balance: $150,000
At 6% return:
Monthly: $400
Total Contributions: $62,400
Investment Growth: $62,600
Final Balance: $150,000
At 8% return:
Monthly: $290
Total Contributions: $45,240
Investment Growth: $79,760
Final Balance: $150,000
Managing Multiple Resources
Priority System
Essential (Fund First)
- Emergency fund
- Debt with high interest (>15%)
- Critical needs
High Priority
- Retirement contributions
- Education funding
- Medium-interest debt (8-15%)
Medium Priority
- Down payment funds
- Major purchases
- Low-interest debt (< 8%)
Low Priority
- Lifestyle goals
- Wants vs needs
- Long-term wishes
Funding Strategy
Waterfall Method:
Your $2,000/month savings:
1. Emergency Fund (Essential)
→ $800 until complete
→ Currently at 60%
2. Credit Card (High Priority)
→ $600 until paid off
→ 18.9% interest
3. Retirement (High Priority)
→ $400 always
→ Long-term growth
4. Japan Trip (Medium Priority)
→ $200 after above funded
→ Flexible timeline
Total: $2,000/month allocated
Percentage Allocation:
Your $2,000/month savings:
50% → Essential (Emergency) $1,000
30% → High Priority (Retirement) $600
15% → Medium Priority (Vacation) $300
5% → Low Priority (Fun) $100
Rebalance quarterly based on progress
Resource Dashboard
Your Resources Overview
Total Goal Amount: $193,000
Total Saved: $58,350 (30%)
Monthly Contributions: $2,400
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
🚨 Emergency Fund 60% ━━━━━━━━━━░░
$6,000 / $10,000
Status: On track | $500/mo
💳 Credit Card Payoff 40% ━━━━━━░░░░░░
$2,200 / $5,500
Status: Ahead of schedule | $600/mo
📈 Retirement (401k) 45% ━━━━━━━░░░░░
$45,000 / $100,000
Status: On track | $1,000/mo
🏖️ Japan Trip 15% ━━░░░░░░░░░░
$1,200 / $8,000
Status: On track | $300/mo
🏠 Down Payment 6% ━░░░░░░░░░░░
$4,950 / $80,000
Status: Just started | $500/mo
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Next Milestones:
🎯 Emergency Fund 75% (3 months)
🎯 Credit Card paid off (6 months)
🎯 Japan Trip 25% (7 months)
Motivation & Milestones
Milestone Celebrations
Automatic Notifications:
🎉 Milestone Achieved!
Emergency Fund reached 50%!
$5,000 of $10,000
You're halfway there!
Keep up the great work.
[View Progress] [Share Achievement]
Milestones:
- 10% funded
- 25% funded (Quarter way!)
- 50% funded (Halfway!)
- 75% funded (Final stretch!)
- 100% funded (GOAL ACHIEVED! 🎊)
Progress Visualization
Charts & Graphs:
- Line chart showing growth over time
- Projection line to target
- Comparison to original timeline
- Month-over-month progress
Celebration Animations:
- Confetti when milestone hit
- Progress badge earned
- Shareable achievement image
Staying Motivated
Weekly Progress Email:
Your Weekly Resource Update
This Week:
+ $125 added to Emergency Fund
+ $150 added to Retirement
+ $75 added to Japan Trip
Total Added: $350
Month Progress:
💰 $1,400 of $2,400 monthly goal
You're 58% through the month!
Your Wins This Week:
✅ Made all auto-contributions
✅ Allocated tax refund
✅ Stayed under budget
Keep it up! 💪
Monthly Summary:
February 2026 - Resources Summary
Total Contributed: $2,500
Auto: $2,000
Manual: $500
Resources Funded:
Emergency Fund: $800
Credit Card: $700
Retirement: $600
Japan Trip: $300
Down Payment: $100
Progress Made:
📊 +8% Emergency Fund
📊 +12% Credit Card payoff
📊 +4% Japan Trip
📊 +0.1% Down Payment
You're crushing it! 🚀
Reports & Analytics
Resource Performance
Resource: Emergency Fund
Created: Jan 1, 2025
Target: $10,000 by Dec 31, 2026
Performance:
Average Monthly: $517
Total Contributions: $6,200
Timeline: On track ✅
Projected Completion: Nov 15, 2026
(45 days early!)
Contribution History:
Feb 2026: $500
Jan 2026: $650 (included bonus)
Dec 2025: $500
Nov 2025: $500
Oct 2025: $500
12-month total: $6,200
12-month average: $517/month
Goal Category Breakdown
Your Resources by Category
Emergency (Essential)
Emergency Fund $6,000 / $10,000
Debt Payoff (High Priority)
Credit Card $2,200 / $5,500
Wealth Building (High Priority)
Retirement $45,000 / $100,000
Major Purchase (Medium)
Down Payment $4,950 / $80,000
Lifestyle (Medium)
Japan Trip $1,200 / $8,000
New Car $800 / $3,000
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Total: $60,150 / $206,500 (29%)
Projected Net Worth Impact
Current Trajectory
Today's Net Worth: $58,350
If you maintain current pace:
6 months (Aug 2026):
Resources: $72,750
Net Worth Impact: +$14,400
1 year (Feb 2027):
Resources: $87,150
Net Worth Impact: +$28,800
2 years (Feb 2028):
Resources: $115,950
Net Worth Impact: +$57,600
Goals Completed:
✅ Emergency Fund
✅ Credit Card paid off
⏳ Japan Trip (in progress)
Advanced Features
Linked Resources
Connect related goals:
Example: House Purchase Chain
Down Payment Fund → $80,000 (Primary)
↳ Closing Costs → $8,000 (Linked)
↳ Moving Expenses → $3,000 (Linked)
↳ Furniture Fund → $10,000 (Linked)
Total House Goal: $101,000
When Down Payment completes:
→ Auto-focus shifts to Closing Costs
→ Then Moving Expenses
→ Finally Furniture Fund
Shared Resources
For couples/families:
Joint Emergency Fund
Owners: You + Partner
Target: $15,000
Current: $9,000 (60%)
Your Contributions: $4,800 (53%)
Partner Contributions: $4,200 (47%)
Monthly Goal: $1,000
Your Share: $500
Partner Share: $500
Both can view progress
Both receive milestone notifications
Resource Templates
Quick-start common goals:
Templates Available:
- 3-Month Emergency Fund
- 6-Month Emergency Fund
- House Down Payment (20%)
- New Car Purchase
- Dream Vacation
- Debt Payoff Plan
- Retirement Catch-up
- College Fund
Using Templates:
- Choose template
- Customize amounts
- Set timeline
- Start tracking immediately
Automatic Rebalancing
Keep allocation on track:
Rebalancing Settings
Check: Monthly
Action: Auto-adjust
Current Allocation Target:
50% Emergency → $1,000/mo
30% Retirement → $600/mo
20% Other → $400/mo
If you contribute $2,500 instead of $2,000:
Auto-allocate extra $500:
$250 to Emergency (50%)
$150 to Retirement (30%)
$100 to Other (20%)
[Enable] [Disable] [Customize]
Best Practices
🎯 Start with The Essentials
Priority order:
- Emergency fund ($1,000 starter)
- Employer 401(k) match (free money!)
- High-interest debt (>15% APR)
- Full emergency fund (3-6 months)
- Then everything else
📊 Use the 50/30/20 Rule
Allocate your income:
- 50% needs (housing, food, utilities)
- 30% wants (dining, entertainment)
- 20% savings (resources!)
💰 Pay Yourself First
Auto-contribute on payday:
- Paycheck hits checking
- Auto-transfers execute
- Live on what's left
This ensures savings happen!
🔄 Review Quarterly
Every 3 months:
- Check progress on all resources
- Adjust contribution amounts
- Reprioritize if life changed
- Celebrate wins!
📈 Increase Contributions Annually
When you get a raise:
- Allocate 50% to resources
- Enjoy 50% as lifestyle increase
- Prevents lifestyle inflation
- Accelerates goals
Example:
- $5,000 raise = $416/month
- $208 to resources (50%)
- $208 to lifestyle (50%)
🎁 Windfall Strategy
Got unexpected money?
Suggested Split:
- 50% to highest-priority resource
- 25% to fun/lifestyle resource
- 25% to enjoy now
Example: $10,000 Windfall
- $5,000 to emergency fund (priority)
- $2,500 to vacation fund (fun)
- $2,500 to enjoy immediately (balance)
Troubleshooting
I'm not making progress
Common causes:
- Contributions too small for timeline
- Timeline too aggressive
- Unplanned expenses consuming budget
- Not tracking consistently
Solutions:
- Adjust target date (give more time)
- Increase monthly contribution
- Review budget for savings opportunities
- Set up automatic contributions
Target date came and I didn't finish
What happened:
- Unrealistic timeline
- Life got in the way
- Priorities changed
What to do:
- Don't beat yourself up
- Assess what you DID accomplish
- Set new target date
- Adjust monthly contribution
- Keep going!
Too many goals, feeling overwhelmed
Solution: Simplify
- Pause low-priority resources
- Focus on 2-3 essential goals
- Complete those first
- Then add more
The "Power of 3":
- 1 essential resource
- 1 high-priority resource
- 1 fun resource
That's it. Master these three first.
Lost motivation after initial excitement
Re-energize:
- Review "why" behind each goal
- Visualize achieving the goal
- Set smaller, shorter milestones
- Find accountability partner
- Join online community
- Celebrate small wins
Remember: Progress over perfection. Any amount saved is better than nothing saved.
Mobile App Features
Quick Add from Home Screen
Widget:
[Emergency Fund] 60% $6,000
[+ $50] [+ $100] [+ $200] [Custom]
One tap to contribute!
Photo Inspiration
Attach motivational images:
- Beach photo for vacation fund
- House photo for down payment
- Financial freedom quote
Progress Notifications
🎉 New Milestone!
Japan Trip reached $2,000
(25% of your goal!)
That's $2,000 closer to your dream!
You're making it happen! ✈️
[View Progress] [Share]
Siri/Google Assistant
"Hey Siri, add $50 to my emergency fund" "Hey Google, how much have I saved for Japan?"
API Integration
Automate resource management:
// Create resource
const response = await fetch('/api/resources', {
method: 'POST',
headers: {
'Authorization': `Bearer ${apiKey}`,
'Content-Type': 'application/json'
},
body: JSON.stringify({
name: "Emergency Fund",
targetAmount: 10000,
currentAmount: 3500,
targetDate: "2026-12-31",
priority: "essential",
category: "Emergency"
})
});
// Add contribution
const contribution = await fetch('/api/resources/123/contribute', {
method: 'POST',
body: JSON.stringify({
amount: 500,
date: "2026-02-01",
note: "Monthly contribution"
})
});
// Get progress
const progress = await fetch('/api/resources/123/progress');
→ See API Documentation
Next Steps
Now that you understand resources:
- Create your first resource - Start with emergency fund
- Review Obligations - Free up money for goals
- Explore Budgets - Find savings opportunities
Or learn more:
- Accounts Guide - Where to save
- Reports Guide - Track net worth
- Investment Guide - Grow wealth faster
Questions? Check our FAQ or contact support