Personal finance guides and free tools

Practical answers, calculators and workflows for getting control of spending, savings, debt and long-term wealth.

How to Create a Monthly Budget

A simple system for turning income, fixed costs and spending categories into a workable monthly plan.

A five-minute method for assets minus liabilities, plus a way to track the trend.

Compare snowball and avalanche approaches and test extra payments.

Understand the practical information a useful financial dashboard should put in one place.

Build a plan from income, fixed costs, variable spending and savings goals.

Estimate your monthly remainder.

Assets minus liabilities.

Estimate payoff time.

Find a monthly target.

Estimate a cash reserve.

Illustrate long-term growth.

Total your spending.

Compare a dedicated dashboard with a spreadsheet workflow.

See the practical differences.

Handle irregular income and business/personal finances.