Guides

How to Lower Your Mortgage Payment (and When Not To)
How to lower your mortgage payment: recast, refinance, PMI removal, escrow review or a term reset, each priced on a $400,000 loan so you can see what it costs.
How to Increase How Much You Can Borrow Before You Apply
How to increase how much you can borrow: pay down cards, add a co-borrower, shop the rate, lengthen the term, raise the down payment. Each move priced.
How to Find Your Routing Number (5 Places to Look)
How to find your routing number: on a check, in your bank's app, on a statement, through the ABA lookup, and why the ACH and wire numbers can differ.
How to Convert Add-On Rate to APR Before You Sign
How to convert add-on rate to APR: the double-it rule of thumb, the exact payment-matching method, Excel's RATE function, and what to ask the dealer.
How to Calculate Sales Tax: State, Local and Use Tax With Examples
How to calculate sales tax: finding the combined state and local rate, the formula, rounding, what is taxable, online orders and use tax, with examples.
How Retirement Savings Compound: Starting Ten Years Earlier
How retirement savings compound: $7,000 a year at 7% from 25 against from 35, the employer match, tax-deferred growth, and why the last decade earns the most.
How Much to Save for Retirement Each Year: From a Target to a Yearly Number
How much to save for retirement each year: work back from a target balance with the 25x rule, the 4% guideline and 7% growth, by starting age.
How Mortgage Refinancing Works, Step by Step
How mortgage refinancing works: rate-and-term versus cash-out, the application, appraisal, closing costs, rate lock and timeline, with a $350,000 example.