Personal Finance for U.S. Households
Practical, no-fluff guides on budgeting, credit, retirement accounts (401k, IRA, Roth), mortgage refinancing, and index-fund investing — written for everyday readers, not finance pros.
Featured Articles
SECURE 2.0 Super Catch-Up Contributions for Ages 60–63 in 2026
The SECURE 2.0 super catch-up lets workers aged 60–63 contribute up to $11,250 extra to their 401(k) in 2026. Here's how it works and who qualifies.
Capital Gains Harvesting in the 0% Bracket 2026: Reset Basis Without Owing Tax
How capital gains harvesting in the 0% long-term bracket works in 2026 — income thresholds, the basis-reset trick, and the state-tax pitfalls to watch.
Inherited IRA 10-Year Rule 2026: What Non-Spouse Beneficiaries Actually Owe
How the inherited IRA 10-year rule works in 2026 — annual RMDs, the eligible designated beneficiary exceptions, and moves that minimize the tax bill.
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Recent Articles
Treasury Bond Ladder Strategy 2026: Building Income Across 1, 3, 5 and 10 Years
How to build a Treasury bond ladder in 2026 — choosing rungs, the auction-vs-secondary tradeoff, and how a ladder beats a bond fund for predictable income.
401(k) Rollover After Job Change 2026: Direct vs Indirect, IRA vs Stay Put
How to handle a 401(k) rollover after a job change in 2026 — direct vs indirect transfer, IRA vs new employer plan, and the 60-day mistake to avoid.
Asset Location Strategy 2026: Which Investments Belong in Each Account Type
How to use an asset location strategy in 2026 — which assets to hold in Roth, traditional, and taxable accounts to squeeze 0.3–0.7% of annual after-tax alpha.
HSA Investment Strategy 2026: Stop Treating It Like a Checking Account
How to invest an HSA in 2026 — when to flip from cash to invested, the receipts trick that turns it into a stealth Roth IRA, and the pitfalls to avoid.
Cash Back vs Travel Rewards Credit Cards in 2026: Which Earns More on $40k of Spending?
How to choose cash back vs travel rewards credit cards in 2026 — real redemption math, point devaluation risk, and when each category actually wins.
PMI Removal 2026: How to Drop Private Mortgage Insurance Early
How to remove private mortgage insurance in 2026 — the 80% LTV and 78% automatic rules, appraisal costs, and the fastest paths to cancel PMI early.