Auto
Calculators and Tools for Boaters
Owning a boat is as much about the numbers as the water. These free calculators help with financing, running costs, fuel, and time on the water.
Read article →Articles
Guides and tips on personal finance, loans, investing, and retirement — paired with the calculators to run the numbers yourself.
Auto
Calculators and Tools for RV Owners
Buying and owning an RV involves a lot of numbers: financing, towing capacity, fuel, and running costs. These free calculators help you get them right.
Savings
APR vs. APY: What Is the Difference?
APR and APY look almost identical but answer different questions, one for borrowing and one for saving. Here is how each works and why the gap is compounding.
Retirement
How Does a 401(k) Loan Work?
A 401(k) loan lets you borrow from your own retirement savings and pay yourself back with interest. Here is how the IRS rules, repayment, and real costs work.
Investing
Should I Invest in Municipal Bonds?
Municipal bonds pay interest that is often free of federal and sometimes state tax. Whether they beat taxable bonds comes down to your tax bracket.
Loans
Should I Make Extra Loan Payments?
Paying off debt early feels smart, but it is not always the best use of a dollar. Here are five things to weigh, from your emergency fund to your interest rate.
Loans
7 Ways to Get a Lower APR on Your Next Loan
The APR a lender offers is mostly about your credit, but it is not fixed. Here are seven practical ways to bring down the rate on your next loan.
Mortgage & Real Estate
Home Affordability In America's Largest Cities
Home affordability in America just reached a new all-time low in 2023. This article identifies cities where housing is most affordable relative to average household incomes in each city.
Mortgage & Real Estate
Reasons to Invest In Short-term Rentals...And Reasons To Reconsider
Short-term rentals, or vacation rental investing can be a good business for many reasons. If you are passionate about hospitality and creating great experiences for your guests, becoming an Airbnb host may be a good option. And for those who excel, attractive financial benefits could follow. However, there are those who should reconsider before choosing to invest. While it can be a good business, it comes with its challenges and is not designed for all personality types. This article will give you some things to think about as you consider entering the short-term rental business.
Vehicles
The Tesla Model Y(Electric) vs The Toyota RAV4(Gas): Analyzing the Economics
This article provides an economic comparison between buying the Tesla Model Y, America's best-selling vehicle in Q1 2023, or the Toyota RAV4. The two vehicles are compared on energy costs as well as other costs, including purchase price to determine which vehicle is better economically.
Auto
Renting Versus Owning A Boat: A Brief Analysis
Deciding whether to own or rent a boat is an important decision that takes careful consideration. Of course, everyone would like to own a boat, but owning a boat is expensive and its easy to overlook potential expenses associated with owning a boat. This article will help you think through and hopefully choose the better option between owning versus renting a boat.
Mortgage & Real Estate
Reasons To Refinance A Mortgage...And Reasons Not To
For the past few decades, interest rates have been in a long-term downtrend. This created the environment where refinancing a mortgage was oftentimes a good idea. However, now interest rates appear to be in an upward trend. This article will give you three reasons why refinancing a mortgage may still be a good decision. However, it may no longer be the best decision. This article will help you think through reasons that may seem like a good reason to refinance, but on the other hand might not be.
Business
Tips For Managing Personal Debt and Business Debt
Business debt and personal debt can be tricky to manage alone, much less if you are managing both at the same time. In a perfect world, a business owner wouldn't use debt, but unfortunately, it's necessary at times. This article reviews some high-level items when it comes to managing both personal debt and business debt.
Vehicles
Buying an Electric Motorcycle vs Gas Motorcycle: A Comprehensive Comparison
Deciding whether to purchase an electric motorcycle can be difficult without being informed. This article discusses the pros and cons of buying an electric motorcycle, as well as the financial and environmental impacts.
Investing
Different Types Of Annuities And How They Are Named
Annuities come in all different shapes and sizes and so do their names. This article discusses the different types of annuities and the reason they are named what they are.
Taxes
An Online Sales Tax Overview
For online businesses, selling online makes things simpler for everyone involved, except when it comes to sales tax. This introductory guide to online sales tax discusses the history, complexities, and different scenarios related to online sales tax.
Mortgage & Real Estate
How To Prepare To Refinance A Mortgage
Once it is decided you are going to refinance, there are preparations that need to be made in order to move forward with refinancing. This article lays out what those are including paperwork as well as understanding different ways and options when structuring the mortgage.
Mortgage & Real Estate
Essential Factors To Consider When Refinancing A Mortgage
This article lays out key elements to consider when refinancing an existing mortgage. It will help determine if refinancing is right for your situation. Or if you should stay put with your current mortgage. And it will share a vital resource to help you examine the numbers.
Investing
Tax Advantaged Investing Options For Everyday Investors
This article focuses on different ways that investors can invest to avoid taxes while still trying to maximize rate of return.
Savings
Risks Of Investing In CDs
Can a CD lose it's value? This article discusses the risk factors inherent with CD investing so that you can understand them and mitigate them where possible.
Land
Buying Land To Rent To Farmers - Is It A Good Investment?
Is buying land to rent to farmers a good investment? The answer is it depends. This article takes an in-depth look at some of the factors that affect this decision and walks through how to calculate an estimated rate of return.
Investing
Comparing A Fixed Annuity To A Bank CD: Disadvantages and Advantages of Both
This article answers the question, "is a fixed annuity better than a bank CD?" It lays out the advantages and disadvantages of both so that you have all the information. And it provides calculators so you can calculate the difference between them.
Investing
What Is The Average Rate of Return From An Annuity?
What is the average return from an annuity? How much do annuities return? This is the question many people have because annuities typically do not disclose a rate of return after the annuity is annuitized. This article will help provide details on how one can estimate their rate of return from an annuity.
Mortgage & Real Estate
What Is An Adjustable Rate Loan?
And adjustable rate loan can provide advantages that other types of loans can't...but is it worth it? If you want to learn more about adjustable interest rate loans, then check out this article.
Mortgage & Real Estate
What Is A Fixed Interest Rate Loan?
This article talks about a fixed interest rate loan and how it works. Fixed interest rate loans are the most common type of loan so if you are thinking of borrowing money, you better know how a fixed interest loan works.
Investing
What Is Internal Rate of Return?
What is the internal rate of return? IRR is one of the fundamental building blocks of financial analysis. It is the rate of return that an investor receives on their investment when adjusted for annual compounding. Read this article to see this explanation broken down further, as well as examples where it gets used.
Investing
What's My Net Worth and Why Is It Important?
Knowing your net worth and how to calculate it is critical to navigating your financial journey. Money isn't everything but a positive and growing net worth can make a big difference. Read this article to learn more about your net worth and why it's important.
Loans
What Is Loan Amortization?
Loan amortization is the method by which a loan is paid off. If you own a loan or mortgage, its important to understand how a loan amortizes so that you can make the best decisions when paying back the loan.
Loans
What Is APR and Why It's Important
Annual Percentage Rate(APR) is the true cost of borrowing after accounting for all fees, not just the stated interest rate. Learn how it's calculated, what fees affect it, and how to use it to compare loan offers and make smarter borrowing decisions.
Investing
Yield To Worst: What It Is And Why It's Important
The yield to worst is a risk that every bond investor needs to be aware of. Not understanding the yield to worst and how to use it, can turn a 5% yield to maturity into a 2% yield to worst if an investor isn't careful.
Investing
Roth Vs Traditional IRA: Which One Do I Choose?
Each person is faced with choosing a Roth or Traditional IRA when saving for retirement. This article brings a balanced perspective and gives you the tools to help you make the decision for yourself.
Investing
Yield To Maturity: What It Is And Why It's Important
Yield to maturity is an important concept for all investors to know. A bond's yield to maturity isn't as simple as one might think. Read this article to get an in depth perspective on what yield to maturity is, how its calculated, and why its important.
Investing
What Is The Rule of 72?
The rule of 72 is one of the most simple finance calculations but also one of the most useful when trying to do some quick analysis on a financial project. The most famous of investors from Buffet to Gundlach know and use the rule of 72.
Business
What Is The Payback Period Method and How To Use It
The payback period method of evaluating an investment is an effective way to compare two investments. This article discusses what it is, and when/how to use it.
Loans
What Is An Equated Monthly Installment or EMI?
Equated Monthly Installment can be a confusing term to some. It is not a term that is commonly used the United States. However, in most cases, it simply means the same thing and is calculated the same way as monthly loan or mortgage payment.
Loans
8 Aircraft Loan Calculators: A Review
This article highlights 7 different online aircraft loan calculators. We share each calculators features, functionality, and which ones you may want to use for your next aircraft purchase.
Investing
4 Financial Concepts for the Financial Minded Individual
4 financial concepts for the financial minded individual.
Land
Websites For Land Buyers Looking for Land For Sale
Are you looking for land to purchase? This list of 10 real estate websites gives the user an overview of each sites specialty when it comes to land sales. Searching these sites may make your land search faster and more enjoyable.
Mortgage & Real Estate
How To Calculate Depreciation on Rental Property
Rental property depreciation is considered one of the best tax advantages in the US tax code today. Just consider how Donald Trump made a chunk of his money. This article is a complete guide on how real estate depreciation works and how one can use it to their advantage.
Land
Converting Hectares to Acres (And Other Useless Information)
Converting hectares to acres is important for various reasons...of which buying land is one of them. This article shares how to convert hectares to acres and vice versa and some other useless information.
Mortgage & Real Estate
Calculating Net Present Value(NPV) For Rental Property
Calculating net present value for real estate property investments is determined by calculating the net present value of future estimated net cash flows. This article shares how the calculation is made and how you should use it.
Mortgage & Real Estate
How Do You Calculate Return on Investment on Rental Property
Real estate return on investment(ROI) gets easily confused with other real estate rate of return calculations. This article shares how it is really calculated and why its different from other real estate rate of return calculations.
Mortgage & Real Estate
Real Estate Equity Build Up Rate
Equity build up rate is a calculation that determines how much mortgage principal was paid in year 1 relative to your initial cash invested in the property. Equity build up rate happens to pair very well with another real estate investment calculation.
Mortgage & Real Estate
Real Estate Cash on Cash Return
Real estate cash on cash return is imperative to understand when investing in real estate. It may appear to be a difficult calculation, but its a must-have when comparing two competing real estate investments.
Land
Types of Recreational Land Loans - A Guide
Recreational land loans can be a way to purchase land used for recreational purposes whether that's fishing, hunting, boating, or some other recreational activity. This article lays out different reasons to buy recreational land and certain things to think about as you go through the buying process.
Land
Your Guide To Land Loan Financing
This blog article focuses exclusively on land loans, and challenges associated with obtaining a land loan. In addition to the challenges, it presents solutions to those challenges for the person willing to get creative enough to purchase the land they want....without conventional bank financing.
Mortgage & Real Estate
Types of Insurance For Rental Property
Are you looking for insurance for rental property? Here are types of insurance you should consider if you are a real estate investor and buy rental property.
Mortgage & Real Estate
Ways to Increase Rate of Return on Rental Properties
If you're a real estate investor, your rate of return on real estate investments is your top priority. Here are some ideas on how to boost your rate of return from rental property.
Mortgage & Real Estate
Real Estate Investing Formulas and Metrics
Real Estate Investing Formulas are a must know for any real estate professional or investor. This article shares 11 real estate investing formulas and metrics to help you be a better investor.
Land
Farmland For Sale: How to Locate, Evaluate, and Purchase
Are you looking for farmland for sale to buy? Not sure what online resources and technology are available to you? Then use this article to find out how to locate the ideal piece of land, how to evaluate it, and how to buy it.
Mortgage & Real Estate
What Makes a Good Real Estate Investment Calculator: A Full Review
Are you a real estate investor looking for a good real estate calculator? This article lays out your options when it comes to free real estate calculators online.
Understand the calculations behind your decisions
Our guides break down how loans, mortgages, investments, and retirement math actually work — and walk you through the formulas behind each calculator so the numbers finally make sense. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.