About FinanceWonk
Free, expert-built tools and education to help you make smarter financial decisions — no jargon, no gimmicks.
Our Story
What Is a “Wonk” Anyway?
wonk /wäNGk/ noun — a person or group of people who studies a subject excessively; delighting in the details, the footnotes, and the formulas that most people gloss over.
FinanceWonk was built on a simple observation: the gap between what financial professionals know and what everyday people can easily access is quite wide. Most personal finance content online falls into one of two camps — oversimplified advice that ignores critical nuance (often with substantially more ads than content), or dense institutional research that doesn't address many common personal financial situations and problems. Neither serves the person sitting at their kitchen table, trying to decide whether to refinance a mortgage or how much to contribute to a 401(k).
We built FinanceWonk to occupy the space in between. Our calculators don't just spit out a number — they show you the mechanics behind it, so you understand why the math works the way it does, to better understand what it means for you. Our insights and tools don't tell you what to do, they help you paint the picture to better understand your options.
Financewonk is a continously growing company. We are very excited about our latest project in development - a personal budgeting and financial planning program, CATO CashFlow. Stay tuned as we're planning to release later this year.
Thank You for Visiting
I've spent over 15 years working for financial and investment firms, yet what always brought me the most pride was being able to help my family and friends with personal finance. And the thing is, it's not as though I ever told anyone what they should or shouldn't do, I simply helped them work through the convuluted vernacular of Finance, and see the problem more clearly through the noise.
When helping people over the years, I often built one-off spreadsheets to help me explain things. It was always very helpful because people tend to be visual learners. I built Financewonk.com as a better alternative - essentially an easier-to-use and scablable version of my one-off spreadsheets and conversations.I suppose this is where I'm supposed to discuss how qualified I am, so here goes... I graduated summa cum laude with a B.S. in Finance, passed the SEC Series 65, 63, and 7 exams, and have obtained my CFA Charter. I've spent over 15 years working at large financial institutions and investment firms including Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch, Citibank, and several Private Equity Shops. I have built thousands of financial models, data models, and various technical projects across all areas of Finance and have read more about Finance than any sane person should.
Christopher Zul Jr., CFA
Founder
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