Financial Resources
Expert-written guides on personal finance, investing, retirement, and taxes.
Retirement Planning
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401(k) vs. IRA: Traditional vs. Roth — The Complete Decision Guide
Flowchart-based guide that tells you exactly which account to prioritize based on income, employer match, age, and tax situation.
Annuities: Fixed vs. Variable vs. Indexed — Do You Need One?
What annuities actually are, how fixed, variable, indexed, and immediate annuities differ, the fees to watch, and when the math does (and doesn't) work.
Catch-Up Contributions: The Over-50 Retirement Superpower
All catch-up contribution limits (401k, IRA, HSA) and the compounding impact of maxing them out.
Early Retirement and the FIRE Movement: A Realistic Guide
Lean FIRE, Barista FIRE, Coast FIRE, and Fat FIRE explained — plus the math you need to make it work.
How Much You Actually Need to Retire
Calculator-driven estimates factoring in Social Security, healthcare costs, housing, and location differences.
How Social Security Benefits Are Actually Calculated
The 35 highest-earning years, bend points, claiming ages, and how early/late claiming affects your benefit.
How to Start a Retirement Plan From Zero
A step-by-step guide for anyone starting retirement savings from scratch — which accounts to open first, how much to save, and what to invest in.
Inherited IRAs: The 10-Year Rule and Your Options
How the SECURE Act's 10-year rule works, who still qualifies for the stretch, and what to do (and not do) when you inherit an IRA.
Medicare Explained: Parts A, B, C, D, Medigap, and Enrollment
How Medicare's parts work, what they cost in 2025, the enrollment windows you can't miss, and how IRMAA surcharges hit higher incomes.
Pensions Explained: Lump Sum vs. Annuity and Your Options
How defined-benefit pensions work, how to decide between a lump-sum payout and a lifetime annuity, and the PBGC protection you may have.
Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs): The Rules You Must Follow
At what age RMDs begin (now 73/75), how they're calculated, penalties for missing them, and strategies to reduce their impact.
Retirement Withdrawal Strategies: Turning Savings Into Income
The 4% rule, guardrails, buckets, and required minimum distributions — how to draw down your portfolio without running out.
Roth Conversion Ladders: The Early Retirement Tax Escape Hatch
Step-by-step guide to converting Traditional IRA funds to Roth during low-income years to access retirement funds early.
Solo 401(k) vs. SEP IRA: The Self-Employed Retirement Decision
How solo 401(k)s, SEP IRAs, and SIMPLE IRAs compare on contribution limits, paperwork, and taxes — and which to choose when you work for yourself.
The 4% Rule in 2026: Is It Still Safe?
Origins of the 4% rule (Bengen, Trinity Study), modern adaptations, sequence risk, current market valuations, and what withdrawal rate is safe today.
What Happens to Your 401(k) When You Change Jobs?
Four options: leave it, roll to an IRA, roll to a new 401(k), or cash out — and the tax implications of each.
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