GUIDES
Worked examples for the money questions people actually ask
Each guide walks through one realistic example step by step, shows the arithmetic, and links to a calculator so you can rerun it with your own numbers.
Savings
The 50/30/20 Budget Rule With a Real Example
Apply the 50/30/20 rule to a $5,000 monthly take-home pay, compare it with actual spending, and decide what to adjust.
Read the guide · 1 minCompound Interest Explained With Real Numbers
See how $300 a month grows over 25 and 35 years, how much is growth versus your own money, and what inflation does to the result.
Read the guide · 1 minHow Much to Save Each Month to Reach a Goal
Turn a savings target and a deadline into a monthly amount, with an example of saving $30,000 in four years for a down payment.
Read the guide · 1 minHow to Calculate Your Emergency Fund Target
Translate your essential monthly expenses into a savings target and a practical monthly contribution plan.
Read the guide · 1 min
Debt
Lower Rate or No Fee? How to Compare Two Loan Offers
A lower interest rate can still cost more. Compare two $20,000 loan offers by total cost, including the upfront fee and the term.
Read the guide · 1 minIs a Debt Consolidation Loan Worth It? Compare the Total Cost
A $15,000 credit card balance moved into a personal loan: how the rate, the origination fee and the loan term change what you really save.
Read the guide · 1 minIs a 0% Balance Transfer Worth the Fee? A Payoff Example
A zero-percent balance transfer still has costs. See how the fee and promotional deadline affect a $1,200 payoff plan.
Read the guide · 1 minPaying Only the Credit Card Minimum: How Long It Takes
Minimum payments on a $5,000 balance at 22.99% take over 19 years. See why, and what a fixed $200 payment does instead.
Read the guide · 1 minDebt Avalanche vs Snowball: Which Pays Off Debt Faster?
A worked example comparing the avalanche and snowball methods on the same three debts and budget — and how small the difference often is.
Read the guide · 2 min
Health
HDHP vs PPO: Which Health Plan Costs Less?
Compare a high-deductible plan with an HSA against a PPO at four levels of medical spending, including premiums, deductibles and tax savings.
Read the guide · 1 minHSA as a Retirement Account: The Triple Tax Advantage
Compare an HSA left invested for 25 years against the same pay in a taxable account, and see what the three tax breaks are worth.
Read the guide · 1 min
Insurance
How Much Life Insurance Do I Need? The DIME Method Explained
Estimate term life coverage with the DIME method (debt, income, mortgage, education) using a worked example for a family of four.
Read the guide · 1 minTerm vs Whole Life Insurance: Should You Invest the Difference?
Test "buy term and invest the difference" against a whole life policy's cash value over 20 and 30 years, and see how much depends on returns.
Read the guide · 2 min
Auto
Should You Lease or Buy a Car? A Cost Comparison
Compare leasing and buying a $36,000 car over three and six years, counting what the car is still worth at the end.
Read the guide · 1 min60 vs 72 vs 84-Month Car Loans: The Real Cost
Compare monthly payments and total interest on a $30,000 car loan across five terms, and see what stretching to 84 months costs.
Read the guide · 1 min
Mortgage
How Much Do Extra Mortgage Payments Save? An Example
See how $200 a month extra, or a one-time $10,000 payment, changes payoff time and interest on a $300,000 mortgage at 6.5%.
Read the guide · 1 minHow Much House Can I Afford? The 28/36 Rule With an Example
Work through the 28/36 lender ratios on a $90,000 income, and see when paying off other debt raises your price range and when it does not.
Read the guide · 2 minMortgage Refinance Break-Even: When Do the Savings Begin?
Use a worked example to compare refinance closing costs, monthly savings, and the time needed to recover the upfront expense.
Read the guide · 2 minRent vs Buy: How Long Before Buying a Home Pays Off?
A 10-year rent-versus-buy comparison that counts the return on the down payment, the cost most calculators leave out.
Read the guide · 1 min
Retirement
When Should I Claim Social Security? 62 vs 67 vs 70
Compare claiming Social Security at 62, 67 and 70 on a $2,000 benefit, find the break-even age, and see why life expectancy decides it.
Read the guide · 2 minIs Your 401(k) Match Worth Maxing? An Example Over 35 Years
See how contributing enough to capture a 50% employer match changes a retirement balance, and why the match cap matters.
Read the guide · 1 min