Personal Finance
Free guides on budgeting, emergency funds, retirement saving, credit scores, and building your financial future.
What this section covers
The decisions in this section are the ones that compound — often literally. An emergency fund that covers three months of expenses prevents the high-interest debt that undoes years of saving. A credit score built early lowers the cost of everything you borrow afterwards.
These guides cover budgeting, emergency funds, retirement saving, credit scores and long-term planning. They aim at the mechanics: what the numbers mean, which levers move them, and what a realistic outcome looks like rather than an optimistic one.
Where a figure depends on your circumstances, the guide says so and gives the formula rather than a made-up example.
How to use this section
- 1Work out which of the five fundamentals you are weakest on — cash buffer, debt cost, savings rate, retirement contributions or credit profile — and start there.
- 2Use the savings-goal, DCA, retirement and net-worth calculators to turn the guidance into your own numbers.
- 3Revisit once a year rather than once a month. These are slow variables; watching them weekly tends to produce worse decisions, not better ones.
Common questions
How big should an emergency fund be?
Three to six months of essential spending is the usual range. The right point within it depends on how stable your income is and how quickly you could replace it. A single-income household with specialised skills should aim at the top of the range or above.
Should I pay off debt or invest first?
Compare the interest rate on the debt with the return you expect after tax. Debt at 20% is almost always worth clearing first because the return is certain. Debt at 4% is usually worth carrying while you invest, because the expected return is higher and the interest is often tax-advantaged.
How much should I be saving for retirement?
A commonly used starting benchmark is 15% of gross income including any employer contribution. What matters far more than the percentage is starting early, because the first decade of contributions does most of the compounding work.
Personal Finance Guides
Budgeting: A Complete Guide to Managing Your Money
Learn how to create a personal budget with the 50/30/20 rule.
GuideEmergency Fund: How Much and How to Build One
Learn how much emergency fund you need and how to build one.
GuideSaving for Retirement: A Step-by-Step Guide
Learn how to save for retirement with 401(k), IRA, and Roth IRA.
GuideCredit Score Guide: Understanding and Improving Yours
Learn how credit scores work and how to improve yours.
GuideFinancial Planning: Building Your Financial Future
Learn how to create a financial plan for your future.
Guide