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.
Every figure has a source and a date.Annual limits are rechecked every January.
Guides
12 guides, each answered in the first paragraphA good place to begin.
- 01 / Investing401(k) Direct Rollover: When to Move It and When Not ToDirect vs indirect 401(k) rollover: the 20% withholding trap, the 60-day rule, and when leaving money in the plan keeps the Rule of 55 and lower costs.Read the guide
- 02 / InvestingAfter-Tax 401(k) Contributions and the Mega Backdoor Roth for 2026After-tax 401(k) money to Roth in 2026: the $72,000 §415(c) math, the plan features to confirm, Notice 2014-54, ACP caps and getting at it before 59½.Read the guide
- 03 / 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
- 04 / 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
- 05 / Financial independenceHow to Calculate Your FI Number from Spending After WorkYour FI number is 25 times the spending you will have after work, not today's budget. A worked example adds health cover and taxes and drops the mortgage.Read the guide
- 06 / Financial independenceNon-W2 Income: Taxes, Retirement Accounts and Your FI PlanSide and freelance income in 2026: 1099 thresholds, Schedule C vs E, 15.3% SE tax, paying when income starts mid-year, Solo 401(k) and SEP limits, FI math.Read the guide
- 07 / Early retirementRetirement Money Before 59½: Five Routes ComparedReach 401(k) and IRA money before 59½ without the 10% additional tax: Roth ladder, Rule of 55, 72(t), Roth basis, taxable bridge, and the years each covers.Read the guide
- 08 / InvestingRoth vs Traditional: Decide by Tax Rate Now vs LaterRoth or traditional 401(k) and IRA: at the same tax rate now and later they end equal. A 2026 bracket example shows when each wins, and what the HSA adds.Read the guide
- 09 / Financial independenceSavings Rate: How to Calculate It, Raise It and Keep It HighCalculate your savings rate (gross vs net, what counts), check the result, handle two incomes, and read a years-to-FI table with its limits.Read the guide
- 10 / Early retirementThe 4% Rule: Where It Came From, What It Assumes, and When It BreaksBengen's 1994 rule, his 2025 revision to 4.7%, the Trinity study, a dollar example, and why 40-50 year early retirements point to a lower rate.Read the guide
- 11 / Personal financeWomen and Financial Literacy: What the Gap Data Show and First StepsWhat FINRA and TIAA-GFLEC data show about the gender gap in money knowledge, the pay and longevity gaps, and what to do first when you handle money alone.Read the guide
- 12 / Financial independenceYears to FI Table: Savings Rate and What You Have SavedFind your years to financial independence from two numbers: your savings rate and the years of spending you already hold. Assumptions shown, 5% real return.Read the guide
Sections
Pick the decision in front of you.
- Financial independenceWhat financial independence means in numbers: the FI number as 25 times spending in today's dollars, how savings rate sets the timeline, and its limits.Open section
- Early retirementRetiring before 59½ or 65: the IRS routes to retirement money without the 10% penalty, the Roth five-year gap, health coverage and sequence risk.Open section
- Personal financeA decision rule for a starter emergency fund while paying off 21%+ credit card debt, plus where to keep cash, debt payoff order and the savings rate.Open section
- InvestingLong-horizon investing basics for 2026: account limits, Roth vs traditional, the HSA as an investment account, index funds as a category, and what fees cost.Open section
- Marriage & moneyWhat marriage changes about money: joint vs separate accounts as a decision, the 2026 spousal IRA, beneficiary forms that override a will, survivor benefits.Open section
- Kids & moneyHow a Trump account (§530A) compares with a 529, a UTMA and a custodial Roth IRA on control, access age and 2026 limits, and what children can learn by age.Open section
How we work
Rules we write by.
01
Answer first. Each guide answers its question in the opening paragraph, then shows the detail and the limits.
02
Sourced and dated. Figures link to a primary source with an “as of” date. Annual limits are rechecked every January.
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No product pushing. No ads, no affiliate links and no stock picks. If that ever changes, it will be disclosed on the page.
04
Real people only. Guides are signed by the editorial team. A reviewer is named only with their consent.
The site has been under new ownership since 2026 and is unrelated to the personal blog that used this address before. About the site
Where to start