Guides
Straight answers to common money questions, worked through with the same official figures our calculators use. Each guide links to a calculator so you can run your own numbers.
Housing
- How much house can I afford? The 28/36 rule, explained How the 28/36 rule turns your income and debts into a home price, what lenders allow, and how rates, taxes and your down payment change the answer.
- When does PMI go away? The 80% and 78% rules for ending PMI, how long it takes, how extra payments and appraisals speed it up, and how FHA mortgage insurance differs.
- Is refinancing worth it? How to find your break-even How to weigh closing costs against monthly savings, when a lower rate does not pay off, and how term, cash-out and time in the home change the answer.
- How mortgage amortization works Why early mortgage payments are mostly interest, the year principal overtakes interest, and how much extra payments save on a typical loan.
- FHA vs conventional loans: which costs less? FHA and conventional mortgages compared on down payment, credit score, mortgage insurance and total cost, and where each one comes out ahead.
Pay & tax
- How bonuses are taxed in 2026 Why a bonus check looks smaller than a paycheck, the 22% federal flat rate, every state's bonus withholding rate, and what you actually owe at tax time.
- 2026 federal income tax brackets and standard deduction The 2026 tax brackets for every filing status, the standard deduction, how marginal rates really work, and what a typical household pays.
- The 2026 tips and overtime deductions, explained Who can deduct tips and overtime pay from 2025 through 2028, the limits and phase-outs, what counts, which states follow, and how much they save.
- How to adjust your W-4 so you don't owe at tax time What each step of the 2026 Form W-4 does, how to fix withholding that is too low or too high, and worked examples for two jobs, kids and side income.
- How RSUs are taxed RSUs are taxed as pay when they vest. Why the 22% withheld often falls short, how sell-to-cover works, and the 1099-B mistake that taxes income twice.
- How ESPP shares are taxed How the ESPP discount and lookback work, why qualifying and disqualifying sales are taxed differently, and whether to sell right away or hold.
- ISO vs NSO stock options: taxes and AMT How ISOs and NSOs are taxed at exercise and sale, when ISOs trigger the alternative minimum tax, and how many you can exercise before it applies.
- States with no income tax, and what they charge instead The nine states with no tax on wages, how much a typical worker saves there, and the sales, property and other taxes that make up the difference.
- The 2026 SALT deduction cap, explained The $40,000 cap on deducting state and local taxes, how it shrinks above $500,000 of income, who should itemize now, and what it saves by state.
- Did your raise beat inflation? How to tell whether a raise kept up with prices, the raise needed to match inflation since 2020, and what your pay is worth after tax in today's dollars.
Borrowing & debt
- Debt avalanche vs snowball: which pays off debt faster? The two classic payoff orders compared on a real set of debts: interest paid, months to debt-free, and when the snowball's quick wins are worth the cost.
- How credit card interest works, and the minimum payment trap How APR becomes a daily charge, why minimum payments can stretch a balance over decades, and how much a fixed payment or balance transfer saves.
Saving & investing
- I bonds vs high-yield savings vs CDs Current I bond, savings and CD rates side by side, the lockups, penalties and taxes, and which fits an emergency fund, a near-term goal or inflation.
- The Rule of 72: how fast money doubles Divide 72 by the rate to estimate how long money takes to double. How close the shortcut comes at every rate, and what it says about debt and inflation.
- How to build a CD ladder How a CD ladder spreads savings across terms so some money frees up every year, what it earns at today's rates, and when breaking a CD early pays.
Retirement & planning
- 2026 401(k) limits and how much your match is worth The 2026 contribution limits, catch-up rules at 50 and 60 to 63, how employer matches work, and what contributing enough to get the full match adds up to.
- The 50/30/20 budget rule, with real numbers How the 50/30/20 rule splits take-home pay into needs, wants and savings, what that looks like at three incomes, and how real household spending compares.
- Which states tax Social Security benefits in 2026? The states that still tax Social Security, their exemptions and income limits, what a typical retiree pays in each, and how federal tax on benefits works.
- How to forecast your net worth Add up what you own and owe, then project it year by year in today's dollars: saving, growth, taxes and the life events that move it most, and your rank.