Planning

When it comes to paying off debt, not all strategies are created equal — and not all minds are wired the same way. Some people are driven by logic and math; others by motivation and momentum. Understanding the differences between debt payoff strategies can help you choose the one that fits both your numbers and your mindset. Let’s compare three common approaches: making only minimum payments, the debt avalanche, and the debt snowball. Minimum Payments: The Bare Minimum Lenders will calculate the minimum required payment for your outstanding balance. For loans like auto loans or mortgages, this is a fixed…

When evaluating funds, there are a myriad of different data points and narratives to consider. Most investors start with performance and most commonly are shown a performance or growth over time chart. If you invest $1 in a fund, how much would it have grown to. Simple.While this “traditional growth picture” feels intuitive and it can provide useful information, it can also be deeply misleading.Why? Because a few years of strong early performance can skew the chart, even if the fund underperformed for nearly the entire rest of its history. The Illusion of Early Success Take two hypothetical investments. In…

Mortgage Calculator Estimate your payment, add taxes/insurance/HOA, see payoff with extra payments, and visualize interest vs. principal. Loan Amount Interest Rate (Ann. %) Term (Years) Start Date Extra Monthly Payment Annual Property Tax Ann. Home Insurance HOA (Monthly) Calculate Reset Base P&I Payment* Escrow (Tax/Ins/HOA) Total PITI PITI + Extra Estimated Payoff *Base P&I payment excludes escrows; “PITI + Extra” adds your extra principal payment. Balance Over Time Totals: Principal vs. Interest Cumulative Principal & Interest Monthly Payment Composition (Principal vs. Interest)

I often come across people who don’t actually know how much they’re paying their financial advisor. They’ll say, “Oh, I think it’s about 1%” — and while that number sounds small, when you apply it to real dollars, it can be a lot more than most people realize.Many advisors don’t make the actual dollar cost very transparent. Fees are deducted directly from your investment accounts, so you may never physically write a check. But over time, even a seemingly small percentage adds up to tens of thousands of dollars.Here are two calculators to help you calculate your fee with other…

Every home search begins with a dream. Maybe it’s a big kitchen filled with family on the holidays, a backyard for summer barbecues, or finally having a place that’s yours after years of renting. This dreaming stage is natural — and it’s exciting.But once you shift from dreaming to shopping, the conversation changes. Now it’s not just about what you’d like in a home, but what you can realistically buy. Sellers and agents won’t just ask what you want — they’ll want to know if you’re financially prepared to follow through. That’s where pre-qualification and pre-approval come in.These steps transform…

Debt is so woven into American life that it often feels less like a choice and more like a rite of passage. From student loans to credit cards, car payments to personal lines of credit, borrowing is not just normalized—it’s marketed as a lifestyle. Credit offers flood your mailbox. "Buy now, pay later" buttons sit beside everyday purchases. For many, debt begins not with a lack of responsibility but with systems that encourage immediate gratification and long-term financial entanglement.To be clear, not all debt is bad. Using credit cards for rewards—if paid off monthly—can be a smart strategy. Financing a…

When most people think about taxes, they picture familiar brackets—10%, 12%, 22%, and so on. But behind the curtain, a second layer of rules quietly increases your tax bill. These “stealth taxes” aren’t always obvious, but they can create surprisingly high effective tax rates at key income levels.Understanding them is essential for anyone approaching retirement or making decisions about savings, withdrawals, or healthcare coverage.If you need help with understanding the basic brackets first, check out Mastering Tax Brackets for Better Financial Planning: How Progressive Tax Bracket Work – Gilbert Wealth What Are Stealth Taxes? Stealth taxes are hidden or indirect tax…

Every day, Americans are bombarded with unwanted mail, spam emails, telemarketing calls, and pre-approved credit card offers. While some of this is just an annoyance, other types of unsolicited marketing can actually put your privacy at risk. The good news is that you have the right to say “no.” There are well-established tools that allow you to opt out of various forms of marketing. They won’t stop everything—scammers, for instance, don’t play by the rules—but they can significantly reduce clutter and risk. Here’s a comprehensive guide to the most effective opt-outs. Reducing Phone Calls 📵 National Do Not Call Registry The…

A great vacation isn’t just about where you go—it’s about how you experience it.Most people think of a trip as a break from real life, but it’s more than that. Done right, your vacation can generate a “memory dividend”—a source of joy and satisfaction that pays emotional interest for years. And research in psychology, behavioral science, and neuroscience shows that how you plan, experience, and reflect on a trip has a huge impact on the happiness it delivers.Here are 8 powerful, science-backed strategies to make your vacation not just good—but exceptional. 1. Start the Fun Early: Build Anticipation Before you…