A free personal finance app created by a Forest Grove High School senior is addressing a critical gap in financial literacy that persists among adults and students alike. Kayden Samuel, 17, developed MontoEdu independently, and it now serves more than 5,000 users across over 10 countries, providing accessible financial education to individuals managing money for the first time.
The app's significance is underscored by Oregon's 2023 law requiring high school students to complete a half-credit personal-finance course for graduation, beginning with Samuel's class of 2027. However, most adults never had such a requirement. A 2025 FINRA Investor Education Foundation survey of over 25,000 adults found that only 27% could answer at least five of seven basic financial-literacy questions correctly—a figure largely unchanged since 2021. This means nearly three in four adults struggle with concepts like interest rates and inflation, leaving them vulnerable to costly mistakes.
Samuel built MontoEdu to serve both students and adults who lack foundational money skills. The platform offers more than 40 beginner lessons covering budgeting, saving, credit, and investing, with progress-saving features so users can learn at their own pace. Recognizing language barriers, Samuel made the entire app available in multiple languages and added a built-in translation tool. The app also includes calculators for savings, interest, and loans, plus a stock market game for practice with fake money.
"We spend years learning subjects in school, but a lot of students graduate without knowing how to manage their own money," Samuel said. His goal was to create something anyone could use, regardless of background. The app's practical impact is evident: one user, Aditi Sharma of Massachusetts, completed budgeting lessons, reviewed her expenses, canceled underused subscriptions, and redirected $20 monthly into the savings calculator to grow her emergency fund.
Samuel plans to keep updating the app through his final year of high school and intends for montoedu.com to remain free. "It's great to see how many people are using the platform, but what matters most to me is whether they're actually learning something they can use," he said. "Even if someone just learns how to avoid a credit card fee or make a better budget, that's something that can help them for years."
The app's launch comes at a pivotal moment as Oregon's graduation requirement takes effect, but its reach extends beyond students. By offering free, multilingual, self-paced financial education, MontoEdu fills a void for adults who never received formal training. With financial decisions becoming increasingly complex, such tools could play a vital role in reducing financial fragility and promoting long-term stability for individuals and families.
