Stash Advice

A $50,000 lump sum can cut your mortgage payment by $345 a month — but only if you recast instead of refinancing. The three-way math, with a calculator.

SSA announced a 3.6% COLA for 2027 — the biggest since 2023. The average retired worker gains about $75 a month, but the projected Part B increase takes $6.60 of it. Our calculator runs your own gross and net raise, with every figure sourced.

The Amex Platinum's 175,000-point welcome bonus is worth anywhere from $1,750 to $3,500 depending on how you redeem — against an $895 fee and an all-or-nothing $12,000 spending bar. Our break-even calculator runs your own numbers, with every figure sourced.

USA Today asks whether inflation killed FIRE: 71% of workers call early retirement unrealistic now. But the number moved — it didn't die. Run your own math with our FIRE calculator, with every figure sourced.

New for 2026: if you're 50 or older and earned over $150,000 in 2025, every 401(k) catch-up dollar must be Roth. A 3-paystub audit tells you whether payroll made the switch correctly — or made a mistake you'll pay for at tax time.

The IRS is mailing CP321J letters about the new Saver's Match — a 50% match on up to $2,000 of retirement contributions, worth up to $1,000 a year starting in 2027. Who qualifies and what to do now.

We analyzed 2,055 timeshare resale listings on the TUG owner marketplace: 41% are listed free, the median asking price is $395, and points resell for 1-5% of developer...

The SAVE plan is over and your 90-day notice deadline is personal. What happens if you do nothing, how RAP vs. IBR vs. Standard compare, and the PSLF trap.

The SAVE student-loan plan has ended. Answer 5 quick questions to see your likely deadline, what happens if you do nothing, and which plans to compare.

An HSA is the only account with a triple tax break — but you need a high-deductible health plan. How HSAs work, the 2026 limits, and who should skip one.

Credit card debt at 22% almost always loses to investing — but a 7% mortgage is a judgment call. The priority order for your extra dollar.

One percent sounds like nothing — until you run the math over 30 years. Where fund fees hide, what they really cost, and how to check yours in ten minutes.