Every article, newest first.
A 529 plan lets college savings grow without tax, and now some of what's left over can move into a Roth IRA. Here's how it works, and how I set up mine.
By Evan Sanning5 min read
A 529 plan grows tax-free for college and K-12 costs. See what counts, what happens if it isn't used for school, state tax breaks, and the Roth rollover.
The stock market is a giant grocery store. You can buy one item, pay a shopper to fill your cart, or grab a little of everything on a list.
By Evan Sanning6 min read
You don't have to pick stocks to invest. See how stocks, mutual funds, index funds, and target-date funds differ, and why low fees matter so much over time.
An IRA is a retirement account you open yourself. The big choice is whether to pay tax on the seed now or on the harvest later.
By Evan Sanning6 min read
An IRA is a retirement account you open yourself. A traditional IRA cuts your taxes now; a Roth is tax-free later. See why your tax rate decides which one wins.
Card interest is a taxi meter. Pay your statement in full and it never starts. Carry a balance and it runs every day, on almost everything.
By Evan Sanning5 min read
Credit card interest is charged daily on any balance you carry, but paying your full statement balance each month means you pay none. See how APR really works.
There's no one right way to budget. Here are three styles, how to pick the one that fits you, and how to make it stick.
By Evan Sanning5 min read
A budget is a plan for your money before the month starts. Compare three styles, from strict categories to paying yourself first, and pick one you'll keep.
An emergency fund is your financial spare tire: you hope you rarely need it, but it turns a crisis into an inconvenience.
By Evan Sanning5 min read
The rule of thumb is three to six months of expenses, but the right amount depends on your life. See how to size it, where to keep it, and how to build one.
A health savings account isn't only for this year's doctor bills. It has three tax breaks, it never expires, and invested, it can grow for decades.
By Evan Sanning5 min read
An HSA has three tax breaks and, unlike an FSA, never expires. See who qualifies, how it compares to an FSA, and why investing it is the step most people miss.
Your 401(k) is a tank of your own, filled by a pipe that branches off before the tax filter. Your employer may pour some water in too.
By Evan Sanning9 min read
A 401(k) saves for retirement from your paycheck before income tax. See what $100 really costs you, what an employer match adds, and Roth vs. traditional.
Your salary is the water leaving the main. Your take-home pay is what makes it through the filters to your faucet.
By Evan Sanning7 min read
Gross pay is what you earn; net pay is what reaches your bank. Follow a paycheck through each filter, from your 401(k) to taxes, and see where it all goes.
Picture a snowball rolling downhill: the bigger it gets, the faster it grows. That's compound interest, for your savings and against your debt.
By Evan Sanning6 min read
Compound interest is interest on your interest. See how your savings snowball, why starting 10 years early can double your retirement, and how it works on debt.
