Comprehensive Guides

Start-to-finish walkthroughs for major financial decisions. Each guide weaves together calculators, insights, and reference data into a single, actionable journey.

Home & Mortgage35 min read5 calculators

The Complete First-Time Homebuyer’s Guide

Everything you need to know about buying your first home — from assessing readiness and saving for a down payment through closing day and your first year of ownership.

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Retirement45 min read7 calculators

The Complete Retirement Planning Guide: From First Paycheck to Last

A life-stage approach to retirement planning — covering accumulation, optimization, transition, and distribution strategies from your 20s through retirement.

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Debt Management30 min read5 calculators

The Complete Guide to Getting Out of Debt

From crisis to freedom — a step-by-step framework for inventorying your debt, choosing a payoff strategy, and building the habits that keep you debt-free.

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College & Student Loans35 min read5 calculators

The Complete Guide to Paying for College Without Going Broke

A timeline-based approach to college planning — from 529 savings strategies through financial aid optimization, school selection, and post-graduation loan management.

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Budgeting30 min read6 calculators

Your First Financial Plan: A Complete Guide for New Earners

The money order of operations — a prioritized action plan for anyone starting their first real job, covering budgeting, emergency funds, debt, retirement, and goal-setting.

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Retirement40 min read5 calculators

The Complete Guide to Tax-Smart Retirement Withdrawals

The withdrawal sequencing framework — which accounts to draw from, when to convert to Roth, how to manage IRMAA cliffs, and year-by-year tax bracket optimization.

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Auto Finance30 min read5 calculators

The Complete Guide to Buying a Car Without Overpaying

From budgeting to negotiation to financing — how to determine what you can afford, decide between buying and leasing, and avoid the most common dealer traps.

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Looking for Something Specific?

Our insights offer focused deep-dives on individual topics, and our calculators let you run the numbers yourself.