Financial literacy for women
Money guides that show their sources.
Clear, sourced guides to saving, investing and planning for financial independence. Every limit, rate and statistic links to the IRS, the SSA, HealthCare.gov or the original research, with the date it applies to.
Save more,
arrive sooner.
A good place to begin.
- 01 / InvestingAfter-Tax 401(k) Contributions and the Mega Backdoor Roth for 2026How after-tax 401(k) contributions become Roth money in 2026: the $72,000 §415(c) math, the plan features you need, Notice 2014-54 and why plans cap it.Read the guide
- 02 / Personal financeBudgeting Strategies Compared: Which Method Fits and Where Each Fails50/30/20, zero-based, pay-yourself-first, envelopes and the anti-budget compared on effort, who each fits and how each one fails, with 2024 BLS spending data.Read the guide
- 03 / Early retirementHealth Coverage Before Medicare: What Early Retirees Pay in 2026Bridging to Medicare at 65: 2026 ACA subsidy rules after the enhanced credits expired, the 400% FPL cliff in dollars, COBRA limits, and how MAGI sets cost.Read the guide
- 04 / Financial independenceNon-W2 Income: Taxes, Retirement Accounts and Your FI PlanSide and freelance income for 2026: 1099-NEC and 1099-K thresholds, Schedule C vs E, 15.3% SE tax, quarterly payments, Solo 401(k)/SEP limits, FI math.Read the guide
- 05 / Financial independenceSavings Rate: How to Calculate It, Raise It and Keep It HighHow to calculate your savings rate (gross vs net, what counts), a years-to-financial-independence table, and why high savings rates usually fail.Read the guide
- 06 / Early retirementThe 4% Rule: Where It Came From, What It Assumes, and When It BreaksBengen's 1994 research and the 1998 Trinity study behind the 4% rule, a worked example in dollars, and why 40-50 year early retirements need a lower rate.Read the guide
- 07 / Personal financeWomen and Financial Literacy: What the Gap Data Show and First StepsWhat FINRA and TIAA-GFLEC surveys show about the financial literacy gender gap, why much of it is 'don't know,' and the pay, longevity and retirement gaps.Read the guide
Pick the decision in front of you.
- Financial independenceWhat financial independence means in numbers: the FI number as 25 times spending, why savings rate beats returns, and where non-W-2 income fits.Open section
- Early retirementRetiring before 59½ or 65 raises three problems: reaching retirement money without the 10% penalty, health coverage before Medicare, and sequence risk.Open section
- Personal financeThe foundations of personal finance in the order they matter: a budget you will keep, an emergency fund, a debt payoff order, and a savings rate to track.Open section
- InvestingLong-horizon investing basics: which accounts to fill for 2026, what an index fund is as a category, how much fees cost over 20 years, and how risk works.Open section
- Marriage & moneyWhat marriage changes about money: joint vs separate accounts, the 2026 spousal IRA, beneficiary forms that override a will, Social Security spousal benefits.Open section
- Kids & moneyWhat children can learn about money at each age, and how custodial accounts, 529 plans and a custodial Roth IRA differ on control, taxes and 2026 rules.Open section
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Where to start