@downtoinvest: if you only knew one thing about each of these financial accounts here's what I would want you to know: 1. Roth IRA/401k- pay taxes now, pay no taxes on this acct later 2. Traditional IRA/401k- lower your taxes now, but pay tax on this acct later 3. Brokerage- Few rules, maximum flexibility 4. HYSA- Where you keep your cash to earn more $ with no additional risk 5. Checking- only where you keep $ for your bills education only, there is a lot more to learn about these accounts so please do your own research