Learn
Understand the decision before you model it.
Short explanations of the ideas behind a financial plan. Each one links to a calculator or a next step. Nothing here is a product pitch dressed up as a definition.
Financial independence
FIRE numbers, withdrawal rates, and how long a portfolio has to work.
Saving
Savings rate, cash reserves, and what to do with extra money.
Investing
How planning uses returns, without pretending markets are a promise.
Retirement
Savings by age, withdrawal rates, and whether a retirement date holds up.
Accounts
Account types, funding order, and what to do after the match.
Taxes
Roth versus traditional, and why the tax rate in retirement is the hinge.
Debt
High-interest balances, mortgages, and when payoff beats investing.
Net worth
What net worth measures, and how to read an age benchmark.
Life events
Quitting, retiring early, a mortgage, and other decisions with a timeline.
Start here
What is a FIRE number?
A FIRE number is annual spending divided by the withdrawal rate you are willing to use.
The 4% rule
The 4% rule is a starting withdrawal rate from historical research, not a promise.
Coast FIRE explained
Coast FIRE is the portfolio that can grow to your FIRE number without new contributions.
Can I afford to retire early?
Early retirement holds if spending, the portfolio, and the years without a paycheck all fit.
What is a good savings rate?
A useful savings rate is the one that reaches your spending target on your timeline.
Emergency fund rules of thumb
Three to six months of essential spending is the usual cash target. The job and the debts change it.