584 Free Finance Guides

Read 584 plain-English guides on mortgages, insurance, investing, tax and personal finance — each paired with free calculators.

• The 50/30/20 Rule: Budgeting Made Simple

  How the 50/30/20 rule splits your take-home pay into needs, wants, and savings — with worked examples and when it is okay to bend the rule.

  2026-05-01

• How to Build an Emergency Fund

  How big your emergency fund should be, how to build it in the right order, and where to keep it so it earns interest and stays liquid.

  2026-05-08

• Inflation and Your Purchasing Power

  What CPI inflation does to your purchasing power — at 3%, $100 becomes $74 in 10 years and $41 in 30. Real vs nominal returns included.

  2026-06-05

• Debt Snowball vs Debt Avalanche: Which Pays Less

  Snowball and avalanche are the two classic debt payoff orders. One wins on math, the other on motivation. Here is how to pick, with numbers.

  2026-05-01

• How Credit Card Interest Works

  Discover the mechanics of credit card interest, including APR and minimum payments, to manage your finances effectively.

  2026-05-11

• A Debt Payoff Plan in 5 Steps

  Get out of debt with a simple five-step plan: list everything you owe, stop adding, pick an order, automate, and celebrate the wins.

  2026-06-01

• Compound Interest: The Eighth Wonder of the World

  How compound interest works, why time beats rate, and what a 30-year doubling table looks like. See your future balance in minutes.

  2026-05-01

• How Much Do I Need for Retirement?

  The 25x rule and 4% withdrawal rate as starting points, the shortfall conversation, and a worked example for a mid-career saver.

  2026-05-07

• 401(k) Basics: Match, Limits, and Tax Treatment

  What a 401(k) is, how the employer match works, 2026 contribution limits, and why the match is the best investment in finance.

  2026-05-14

• Roth vs Traditional IRA: Tax Now or Tax Later

  Tax now vs tax later, a comparison table of Roth and traditional IRAs, and a guide to which wins by tax bracket.

  2026-05-21

• The Rule of 72: Doubling Math

  Quick doubling math for saving and investing. A table of doubling times at common returns from 1% to 10%.

  2026-05-28

• Catching Up in Your 30s and 40s

  Delayed starts, catch-up contribution math, and the levers that get a 30s or 40s saver from behind to on track.

  2026-06-04

• FIRE Basics: Financial Independence and Early Retirement

  What the FIRE movement gets right, how withdrawal rates work, and the trade-offs of extreme early retirement.

  2026-06-11

• Social Security in Your Retirement Plan

  How Social Security benefits fit a plan, when to claim, and the 35-year formula that decides your monthly check.

  2026-06-18

• Inflation-Proofing Your Retirement

  Why 3% inflation halves purchasing power in about 24 years and how to build a plan that keeps up.

  2026-06-25

• Term Life vs Whole Life Insurance: Which Is Right?

  Term life covers you for a set period at a fraction of the cost of whole life. Compare pricing, cash value, and when permanent coverage makes sense.

  2026-05-01

• How Much Life Insurance Do You Need?

  Estimate your life insurance needs with the DIME method: debts, income, mortgage, and education. Worked examples show how the number changes by age and family.

  2026-05-08

• ACA Subsidies & Premium Tax Credits

  How ACA subsidies and premium tax credits work in 2026: federal poverty level ratios, the 8.5% income cap, and marketplace enrollment basics.

  2026-05-22

• Disability Insurance: Protect Your Income

  Disability insurance replaces 60-70% of income when you cannot work. Compare own-occupation vs any-occupation, waiting periods, and what it costs.

  2026-05-29

• Life Insurance Riders Explained

  Life insurance riders explained: waiver of premium, accelerated death benefits, child riders, and more — what each costs and when to add them.

  2026-06-05

• Group vs Individual Health Insurance

  Group vs individual health insurance: employer plans, COBRA math, and marketplace alternatives — how to compare cost and coverage when jobs change.

  2026-06-12

• How Life Insurance Premiums Are Priced

  How life insurance premiums are priced: age, health, smoker status, occupation, and hobbies. What drives rates up, and what you can actually control.

  2026-06-19

• Life Insurance for Young Families

  A practical checklist for young families: how much term life to buy, 20 vs 30-year terms, and how to fit coverage into a tight budget.

  2026-06-26

• HDHP + HSA Strategy: Triple Tax Savings

  HDHP + HSA strategy: the triple tax advantage, 2026 contribution limits, and the math that shows when a high-deductible plan beats a PPO.

  2026-07-03