Knowing how to secure your financial well-being is one of the most important things you can do for yourself. You don’t have to be a genius to do it. You just just need to know a few basics, form a plan, and be ready to stick to it.

To end up where you want to be, you need a financial plan. Ask yourself what you want. List your most important goals first. Decide how many years you have to meet each specific goal, because when you save or invest, you’ll need to find an option that fits your time frame. Here are some tools to help you decide how much you’ll need to save for various needs.

• The Ballpark Estimate, created by the American Savings Education Council, can help you calculate what you’ll need to save each year for retirement.
• The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has a college savings calculator.