Guides
Short, practical explanations to go with the calculators: how compound interest works, how to size an emergency fund, avalanche vs. snowball, and more.
What Is Compound Interest, and Why Does It Reward Patience?
A plain-language explanation of compound interest: how it differs from simple interest, and why starting early beats trying to catch up later.
Read the guide →How Much Should You Keep in an Emergency Fund?
Three to six months of expenses is the classic rule. Here is how to find your own number and where to keep the money.
Read the guide →APR vs. APY: What the Percentage on Your Loan or Account Really Means
Why lenders advertise APR, savings accounts advertise APY, and how to compare offers that use different numbers.
Read the guide →Debt Avalanche vs. Snowball: How to Actually Choose
The math says one thing and behavior often says another. A practical look at both debt payoff methods and how to combine them.
Read the guide →How to Build a Budget You Will Actually Stick To
Most budgets fail within a few months. Here is a version built around how people actually spend money.
Read the guide →Saving for a House Down Payment: A Realistic Timeline
How much you really need, where to keep the money while you save, and the costs beyond the down payment itself.
Read the guide →How Inflation Quietly Erodes Your Savings
Why the number on your bank statement can grow while what it can buy shrinks, and what to do about it.
Read the guide →A Beginner’s Guide to Investing: Where to Put Your First $1,000
What to check off before you invest a dollar, and why most beginners are better off boring than clever.
Read the guide →How to Pay Off Credit Card Debt Faster Without a Windfall
Practical ways to speed up payoff using money and negotiating room you already have.
Read the guide →The Time Value of Money, Explained Simply
The one idea underneath every calculator on this site: a dollar today is worth more than a dollar later.
Read the guide →How to Save Money on Groceries Without Clipping Coupons
Practical habits that cut the grocery bill without extreme couponing, plus what the savings could grow into.
Read the guide →Roth vs. Traditional Retirement Accounts, Explained Simply
Pay tax now or pay it later? How to think about the choice, and why many people use both.
Read the guide →How Much Should You Have Saved by 30, 40 and 50?
Popular retirement savings benchmarks by age, what they assume, and what to do if you are behind.
Read the guide →What Is a Credit Score, and How Can You Raise It?
The factors that move a credit score, in order of importance, and the habits that improve it over time.
Read the guide →Sinking Funds: The Budget Trick for Irregular Expenses
How setting aside small monthly amounts for predictable bills keeps them from wrecking your budget.
Read the guide →How to Budget on an Irregular Income
A step-by-step system for freelancers, commission earners and gig workers whose pay changes every month.
Read the guide →Index Funds vs. Individual Stocks: Which Is Better for Beginners?
Why most beginners are better served by broad index funds, and how to pick stocks without betting everything.
Read the guide →The Latte Factor: Do Small Expenses Really Add Up?
The math behind small daily purchases, and why the big three expenses usually matter more.
Read the guide →How to Pay Off Student Loans Faster
Practical ways to shorten your student loan timeline, and the trade-offs of refinancing.
Read the guide →How to Start Investing With $100
You do not need a lot of money to begin. What to check first, where to start, and how small amounts grow.
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