Frequently Asked Questions

What is 3rd Decade?

3rd Decade is 501c3 non-profit organization, founded to provide the financial education to young adults in their 3rd Decade® of life (18-35yrs old) who should have received this information in high school/college. 3rd Decade was created by financial experts to empower you to make good financial decisions and provides you with possibly your first experience working with your own personal financial mentor. The 3rd Decade Financial Education Program provides unbiased and effective information and services to all eligible applicants at no cost with no catch.

What is the catch?

There is no catch. We don’t sell investment products and we don’t manage your money. As a non-profit, 3rd Decade’s mission is to educate and empower participants to feel comfortable and confident in making educated financial decisions in their lives. We provide financial mentoring at no cost to you and are available to address financial questions as they arise. Keep in mind that we are professional financial mentors who adhere to a fiduciary standard: our advice must put your interests first.

For more information, visit our Program Details page. 

Where is 3rd Decade located?

Our corporate office is located in Tucson, Arizona. We are an Arizona-based organization with a national partner network and now accepting applications nationwide. 

I want to sign up for 3rd Decade! How do I get started?

It’s easy to get started on your journey to financial wellness. Fill out our online application or give us a call, and we will ask you some basic questions to understand your needs and get to know you so we can make sure 3rd Decade is right for you.

Click here to apply.

Who is eligible for 3rd Decade's program?

  • People of all genders
  • Ages 18-35
  • Individual income up to 75k or a household income up to 120k

*Please visit the Apply page for more details

We believe that financial education should be easily accessible. We work with participants of all gender identifications and employ all genders. We are happy to accommodate if you have a female or male financial mentor preference.

Does 3rd Decade work with both individuals and couples?

Absolutely! Our focus is on educating you on how to work towards your financial goals whether you are doing so as an individual or as a team. We highly recommend couples who are sharing finances and/or are planning on sharing their life together into retirement to participate in the program together.

What is expected from participants?

We expect our participants to be willing to share their personal financial situations with a strong desire to learn, improve, and grow. The desire to improve and willingness to put effort into the little work required is necessary to success in the 3rd Decade program. Participants can expect to gain as much out of the program as they put into it.

Participants must also be willing to put in 2-4 hours of prep work to be successful in both the classes and financial mentor meetings. Examples of this might include tracking your spending, reading articles, filling out a spreadsheet, looking into details on your workplace’s pension plan or 401k offerings and more.

What do I receive when I join 3rd Decade?

You will receive 4 financial education classes (10 hours total all online) in addition to 3 one-on-one financial mentoring sessions. Each class provides an in-depth look into important financial topics, from interest rates, managing debt, student loans, mortgages, Roth IRAs and more. Our financial mentors work with each participant individually to create a personalized financial plan and tailor goals and budgets to participant’s specific needs.

Click here for more information on the 3rd Decade program. 

How long of a commitment is 3rd Decade's program?

3rd Decade is a two-year program. You will complete four classes that cover a variety of important personal finance topics. In addition to the four classes, you will complete 3 one-on-one financial mentoring sessions.

What topics does 3rd Decade teach in its classes?

Class 1: Behavioral Finance
Class 2: Financial Assets & Managing Risk
Class 3: Taxes and Retirement Accounts
Class 4: Insurance

What does the process of working with a Financial Mentor entail?

The process starts with a Discovery meeting where you lay all your cards out on the table without any judgment so your mentor can really understand your current financial situation. We always say we don’t care how you got there, we only care about where you want to go and this first meeting gives you and your mentor a solid idea of where you want to go financially. We will create a financial plan and ensure you feel supported throughout the entire process.

One year after your Discovery Meeting, you will attend a Progress Meeting with your mentor to update them about your financial achievement and goals and receive an updated Financial Plan.

Your final Progress meeting takes place one year after your first Progress Meeting. You will once again update your mentor about your financial achievements and goals and update your Financial Plan. As this is your last meeting, your mentor will ensure you are comfortable making your own financial decisions moving forward.

What financial subjects do 3rd Decade Mentors provide support for?

  • Comprehensive lifestyle income and expense analysis
  • Improving and managing credit scores
  • Employer Retirement Plan fund Analysis
  • Navigating credit card issues
  • Managing student loan debt
  • Recommending stage-appropriate saving and investing options
  • Retirement planning analysis and guidance
  • Building emergency funds
  • Will/Estate Planning resources
  • Identifying critical financial and life goals and creating road maps to achieve them

What if I already work with a Financial Mentor or Advisor?

You can still participate in the 3rd Decade program even if you’re already working with a financial advisor. Our participants have found great value in working with both our financial mentors and their personal financial advisors simultaneously.

I love 3rd Decade! How can I bring it to my company for my colleagues to enjoy?

Contact Megan Stiles at [email protected] to learn about partnering with 3rd Decade.