The Alistair Blog
Stories about the broken world of traditional financial advice, deep dives into our microtools, and updates on what we're building to fix it.
Microtools
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Meet the 529 College Savings Planner: The Number That Changes Every Year You WaitMicrotools
College costs are rising at 5-6% per year — faster than general inflation. Alistair's 529 planner models the real future cost of college and shows your monthly gap so you're not scrambling in senior year.
Meet the Retirement Withdrawal Safety Microtool: The 4% Rule Is a Starting Point, Not a PlanMicrotools
The 4% rule works — until it doesn't. Alistair's withdrawal safety microtool stress-tests your portfolio against market crashes, inflation, and your actual spending to find your sustainable withdrawal rate.
Meet the Mortgage Payoff vs. Invest Microtool: The Debate That Math Actually SettlesMicrotools
Pay off the mortgage early or invest the extra cash? It's the most debated question in personal finance — and the answer is math, not feelings. Alistair's microtool runs both scenarios side by side.
Meet the 401(k) / IRA Optimizer: The $100K Question You've Been AvoidingMicrotools
Traditional or Roth? The answer depends on your tax bracket today versus retirement — but most people just guess. Alistair's optimizer runs the math so you actually know.
Meet the RSU Tax & Selling Optimizer: Stop Leaving Six Figures on the TableMicrotools
RSUs and ISOs can be life-changing wealth — or a tax disaster. Alistair's RSU microtool models every sell strategy, AMT exposure, and state tax hit so you don't guess your way through equity compensation.