Term Life and Disability Insurance
Your ability to earn is your biggest asset, and it's probably uninsured. What disability and term life you actually need, and the whole-life pitch to decline.
Tag: budgeting
All the articles with the tag "budgeting".
Mortgage Payoff vs Investing
Extra principal or invest the difference? Compare your mortgage rate to your after-tax return first, then let liquidity, taxes, and psychology break the tie.
HDHP vs PPO: Open Enrollment Math
Open enrollment math most people skip: comparing HDHP and PPO by worst-case totals, not premiums. The four numbers that decide it, and the HSA swing factor.
The Layoff Money Playbook
The first two weeks after a layoff decide the financial outcome. Severance, RSUs, options, COBRA, unemployment, and the 401k moves to make before you sign.
Where to Park Cash
Cash sitting in a big-bank checking account earning near nothing is the most common, most fixable money leak for high earners. Here's where it should go.
Rent vs Buy: The Actual Math
Renting isn't throwing money away. Most of an early mortgage payment is interest, which is money you never get back either. Here is the real rent-vs-buy math.
Emergency Fund: How Much Is Enough?
3-6 months is the generic advice. Here's how to calibrate your emergency fund by job stability, income type, and what else you can access in a crisis.
Financial Order of Operations
Where your next dollar should go, in exact priority order. A deterministic flowchart for engineers who want the math to make the decision, not vibes.
Monarch Money: The Best Mint Replacement?
Mint shut down in 2024. Monarch Money is the best replacement for passive trackers, great net worth dashboard, multi-user support, and solid mobile app.
YNAB Review: Is $109/Year Worth It?
YNAB costs $109/year and has a real 2-3 month learning curve. Here's who it transforms, and who should skip it and use Monarch Money instead.
The Budget That Doesn't Feel Like a Budget
Stop tracking every coffee. Reverse budgeting automates your savings first, then lets you spend the rest guilt-free, here's exactly how to set it up.
Savings Rate: The Only Lever That Matters
Your savings rate determines your retirement timeline faster than investment returns ever will. Here's the math, the table, and how to calculate yours honestly.