Guides
Clear explanations of money concepts. Each guide stands on its own—start anywhere that speaks to you.
HSA: The Most Tax-Advantaged Account You're Probably Ignoring
Triple tax advantages make HSAs potentially more powerful than 401(k)s—if you qualify and use them right.
Building Credit from Scratch
How to establish a credit history when you have none—the legitimate paths that actually work.
APR vs APY: What's the Difference?
Two similar-sounding numbers that can mean thousands of dollars of difference—and when each one matters.
Filing Taxes for the First Time: How the Process Actually Works
Tax filing follows a logical structure once you understand the pieces. Here's what happens at each step and what determines your outcome.
How to Track Your Net Worth
The single number that reveals whether you're actually building wealth—and how to calculate it.
Sinking Funds Explained
The simple trick that turns irregular expenses into predictable ones—and why it prevents budget disasters.
How to Read Your Credit Report
The document that determines your financial reputation—and how to spot errors that could cost you thousands.
How Tax Brackets Actually Work
The marginal tax system confuses people into thinking raises can reduce take-home pay. Here's how it actually functions.
Automating Your Finances
How to build a system that manages your money without constant attention—and why automation beats willpower.
Tax Deductions vs. Tax Credits: How Each Reduces Your Bill
Deductions and credits both reduce taxes, but through different mechanisms with different impacts. Here's how each works.
How Credit Card Interest Actually Works
Credit cards are straightforward lending products wrapped in confusing terms. Here's the mechanics of how balances, interest, and payments interact.
Dollar Cost Averaging Explained
The simple strategy that removes timing from the equation and turns volatility into an advantage.
Roth vs Traditional: Which Account Type Wins?
The tax timing question that determines whether you pay now or pay later—and which choice makes you richer.
Index Funds: What They Are and How They Work
Index funds are the default recommendation for most investors for good reason. Here's the mechanics behind them and why they dominate modern investment advice.
Understanding Your Paycheck
What all those deductions actually mean, and why your take-home is so much less than your salary.
The 'Good Debt' Framework: What It Actually Means
The distinction between good and bad debt is a framework for evaluating borrowing decisions, not a moral judgment. Here's how to think about different types of debt.
Why Budgets Fail (And What Actually Works)
Traditional budgeting has a design flaw. Understanding it explains why most people quit.
Where Your Paycheck Actually Goes
The mechanics of paycheck allocation, and why most systems fail before they start.
Fixed vs Variable Expenses
The distinction determines where optimization effort is best spent, and what your actual financial floor looks like.
How Debt Payoff Strategies Actually Work
The math behind debt repayment is straightforward. The behavioral component is where strategies diverge. Here's how the main approaches function.
How to Track Your Spending
The methods that work, the methods that don't, and why most people quit within a month.
Compound Interest: The Math Behind Long-Term Growth
Compounding is the mechanism that turns modest consistent contributions into large sums over time. Here's how the math works and what affects the outcome.
High-Yield Savings Accounts Explained
How online banks pay 50-100x more interest than traditional banks, and why the money is just as safe.
When to Start Investing
The math of compound growth creates urgency. The prerequisites are simpler than most people think.
Saving vs Investing: What's the Difference?
Two different tools for two different jobs. Understanding when to use each.
How Much to Save Each Month
The math behind savings rates, and why the standard advice doesn't account for reality.