Free tool
The Three-Bucket Budget™
Enter your monthly income and spending to see how your money aligns with the 50/30/20 framework — Essentials, Lifestyle, and Your Future — with instant visual feedback and a personalized suggestion.
Free Tools & Educational Resources
Tools & Resources
Free calculators, guides, and educational content to help you build a clear financial picture — no advisor required.
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Getting started
Article
The DIY Wealth Path
A six-step framework for building wealth systematically — from cash flow clarity through protection, debt elimination, investing, and financial independence.
Wealth building
Free tool
Milestone Allocator™
Enter your monthly expenses, milestone target, and time horizon to receive a three-tier capital segmentation blueprint — HYSA, T-Bill Ladder, and Tax-Free Brokerage.
Protection planning
Free tool
HLV & Term Rider Calibration Engine
Calculate your Net Human Life Value Baseline and the optimal split between Permanent Base coverage and a low-cost Term Rider — based on your age, income, and retirement timeline.
Emergency savings
Free guide
Emergency Fund Blueprint
A step-by-step framework for sizing, building, and maintaining your emergency fund — including the right account type for each tier.
Debt
Free tool
Debt Payoff Planner
Model the avalanche and snowball payoff strategies side by side — see total interest saved and your debt-free date for each approach.
Free guide
Debt Payoff Quick-Start Guide
A five-step guide to seeing the full picture, choosing your strategy, finding your extra payment, building momentum, and knowing when to pivot toward investing.
Article
Pay Off Debt or Invest?
A decision framework for the most common financial fork in the road — when the math favors investing, when it favors debt payoff, and how to think about both at once.
Investing basics
Free tool
Rule of 72 Calculator
Estimate how long it takes to double your money at a given rate of return — or find the rate needed to double in a target number of years.
Free guide
Investment Policy Statement Template
A structured template to define your investment goals, risk tolerance, asset allocation, and rebalancing rules — your personal investing constitution.
Free guide
Roth Decision Guide
A decision framework for choosing between Roth and traditional contributions — based on your current tax bracket, expected retirement income, and timeline.
Article
Index Funds vs. Actively Managed Funds
A clear comparison of passive index investing and active fund management — costs, performance history, and which approach fits a DIY wealth-building strategy.
Article
Roth IRA vs. Traditional IRA
A side-by-side comparison of contribution rules, tax treatment, RMDs, and the key factors that determine which account type fits your situation.
Article
The Rule of 72 Explained
How the Rule of 72 works, when to use it, and why understanding compounding is the foundation of every long-term wealth-building strategy.
Article
Roth IRA vs. IUL
A transparent comparison of Roth IRAs and Indexed Universal Life insurance — costs, flexibility, tax treatment, and which tool fits which situation.
Retirement
Free tool
Social Security Break-Even Calculator
Find the age at which delaying Social Security pays off — and see the cumulative lifetime benefit difference between claiming early, at FRA, or at 70.
Free tool
Medicare IRMAA Calculator
Estimate your 2026 Medicare Part B and Part D IRMAA surcharges based on your 2024 MAGI — for single filers, married filing jointly, and married filing separately.
Free tool
Retirement Income Gap Estimator
Project your retirement income gap based on expected spending, Social Security, and other income sources — and see the portfolio benchmark needed to close it.
Free guide
Retirement Readiness Guide
A comprehensive checklist covering income sources, healthcare, tax strategy, estate basics, and the key decisions to make in the five years before retirement.
Free checklist
Social Security Claiming Checklist
A four-step checklist to help you get your official numbers, compare claiming options, pressure-test the decision, and set a review reminder.
Article
How Much Will Your 401(k) Pay in Retirement?
A practical guide to converting a 401(k) balance into a sustainable monthly income — withdrawal rates, sequence risk, and the role of Social Security.
Financial independence
Free tool
Financial Independence Calculator
Calculate your FI number, how many years until you reach it, and a milestone timeline — based on your current savings rate and expected returns.
Article
What Is Your FI Number?
How to calculate the portfolio size that makes work optional — and the savings rate, timeline, and withdrawal rate assumptions behind the number.
Major purchases
Article
How Much House Can You Afford?
Beyond the 28/36 rule — a framework for stress-testing a mortgage against your full financial picture, including opportunity cost and liquidity.
From the blog
Practical articles on budgeting, saving, and retirement planning — including our latest guide on stopping overspending and automating your savings.
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