Personal Finance Blog — Guides, Tips & Calculators
Practical guides and interactive calculators to help you budget, save, invest, and plan your financial future.
Lease vs. Buy a Car: Which Costs Less?
Compare leasing vs. buying a car with real numbers. See total cost over 5 years, monthly payments, and when each option makes financial sense.
Property Tax by State: A Complete Breakdown
Compare property tax rates by state. Learn how assessments work, which states have the highest and lowest rates, and how exemptions can save you money.
How Much Should You Have Saved by Age?
Retirement savings benchmarks by age using Fidelity's 1x-10x salary guideline. See where you stand and how to catch up if you're behind.
Financial Milestones for Every Decade
Financial planning benchmarks for your 20s, 30s, 40s, and 50s. Emergency fund targets, retirement savings, and net worth goals by age.
How to Create a Monthly Budget That Works
Step-by-step guide to building a monthly budget template. Includes common categories, tracking methods, and an interactive budget calculator.
The 50/30/20 Rule: A Complete Guide
Master the 50/30/20 budgeting rule. Learn how to split income into needs, wants, and savings with real examples and our interactive calculator.
How to Set Your Freelance Rate
Calculate the right freelance hourly rate by accounting for taxes, benefits, downtime, and expenses. Convert salary to freelance rate with our tool.
Side Hustle Tax Tracking: A Complete Guide
Learn how to track side hustle income and expenses for taxes, including Schedule C, deductions, quarterly payments, and record-keeping tips.
Is Your Side Hustle Actually Worth It?
Analyze whether your side hustle is worth the time after taxes, expenses, and burnout. Use our calculator to find your real hourly rate.
Self-Employment Tax: What It Is and How It Works
Learn how self-employment tax works, including the 15.3% rate, quarterly estimated payments, and deductions that can lower your bill.
FIRE Movement: How to Retire Early
Explore the FIRE movement: lean FIRE, fat FIRE, barista FIRE, the 25x rule, 4% rule, and the savings rate math behind early retirement.
How to Allocate Your Monthly Savings
Learn how to split your monthly surplus between emergency fund, retirement, investments, and short-term goals with a clear priority framework.