Free Money Tools
Run the numbers on your paycheck, a raise, your debt, and your future — with 2026 federal and state tax rates built in.
Estimate your real take-home pay after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare, and your state's 2026 income tax.
Assumes the standard deduction and standard W-4 (no extra withholding, dependents, or other income). Excludes local/city taxes, credits, and other pre-tax benefits. A 2026 estimate, not a paystub.
Between federal income tax, Social Security (6.2%), Medicare (1.45%), and your state's tax, roughly 15–30% of gross pay is withheld before it reaches you. A pre-tax 401(k) lowers your take-home now too — while building your future.
Yes. Traditional 401(k) contributions come out before federal and state income tax, which shrinks your taxable income. They don't reduce Social Security or Medicare, which are figured on your full pay.
Eight states tax no wage income: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming (New Hampshire doesn't tax wages either). Choose one above and the state line drops to $0.
No. Some cities and counties add their own income tax that this estimate doesn't include — check locally if that applies to you.
See what a raise actually adds to your take-home pay — after taxes take their cut.
Compares estimated take-home pay before and after the raise using 2026 tax rates and the standard deduction.
Because the extra income is taxed too. Depending on your bracket and state, you typically keep roughly 65–80% of a raise after taxes.
No. Only the dollars above each bracket threshold are taxed at the higher rate, so a raise always leaves you with more take-home — never less.
Because taxes take a cut, a $3,000 raise might add roughly $180–$200 a month rather than the full $250. Run your exact numbers above to see.
See your new monthly payment, how much you'd save, and how long until the refinance pays for itself.
Compares principal-and-interest payments only (not taxes or insurance). Extending your term can lower the monthly payment but raise total interest — watch the lifetime number.
A common rule of thumb: take a serious look when you can lower your rate by about 0.75–1%, and when you'll stay in the home past the break-even point shown above. If you'll move sooner, the closing costs may not pay off.
If you reset to a fresh 30-year term, you stretch the loan back out, so you can pay more total interest even at a lower rate. Watch the lifetime-interest line, not just the monthly payment.
This compares principal and interest only. Property taxes, homeowners insurance, and PMI aren't included, and closing costs are what the break-even is measured against.
See how much faster you'd be mortgage-free — and how much interest you'd save — by paying a little extra each month.
Uses principal and interest only. Confirm your loan has no prepayment penalty, and ask your servicer to apply extra payments to principal.
It depends on your balance and rate, but on a typical 30-year loan, an extra $100–$200 a month can shave several years off and save tens of thousands in interest — because every extra dollar goes straight to principal. Try your own numbers above.
If your rate is low and you'd likely earn more investing, investing can win mathematically. If being debt-free helps you sleep, paying down wins. Both are reasonable — it's partly a math question and partly a peace-of-mind one.
No. They shorten the loan and cut interest, but your required monthly payment stays the same unless you refinance or ask your lender to "recast" the loan.
See your down payment, loan amount, and estimated monthly payment — and whether you'd avoid PMI.
Estimates principal and interest only — property tax, homeowners insurance, and any PMI are extra. A 20% down payment typically removes PMI.
Many loans allow as little as 3–5% down, but putting 20% down lets you skip PMI and lowers your monthly payment. Balance a bigger down payment against keeping a healthy emergency cushion.
PMI (private mortgage insurance) is an extra monthly charge lenders add when you put down less than 20%. It protects the lender, not you. Reaching 20% equity — at purchase or later — usually removes it.
Property taxes, homeowners insurance, HOA dues, and closing costs. Your real monthly housing cost is usually meaningfully higher than principal and interest alone.
Estimate your monthly car payment and the total interest you'll pay over the loan.
Excludes sales tax, title, and dealer fees, which are often rolled into the loan. Add them to the price for a fuller estimate.
Shorter terms (36–48 months) mean higher payments but far less interest. Stretching to 72–84 months lowers the monthly payment, but you can owe more than the car is worth for years. Try a few terms above to see the trade-off.
Advertised rates usually require top-tier credit. Your real APR depends on your credit score, the loan term, and the lender — test a higher rate above to see how much it changes the payment.
Even 10–20% down lowers your loan, your interest, and your odds of going "underwater" (owing more than the car's value). More down almost always helps.
See whether refinancing your car loan would lower your payment and what it does to total interest.
Keeping the same number of months avoids stretching the loan. A longer new term lowers the payment but can raise total interest.
Usually when your credit has improved since you bought, rates have dropped, or you need a lower payment — as long as any fees are small compared with what you save.
Often yes. Refinancing to the same number of months captures a lower rate without stretching the loan out and paying more interest overall.
It's harder. Many lenders won't refinance a loan where you owe more than the car is worth, or they'll offer worse terms. Paying the balance down first improves your options.
List your debts, add any extra monthly payment, and compare the snowball and avalanche methods.
Assumes fixed interest rates and that you keep paying at least the minimums. Real results vary with rate changes and payment timing.
Avalanche (highest rate first) saves the most money; snowball (smallest balance first) gives faster wins that more people stick with. Pick the one you'll actually finish — both are above for you to compare.
As much as your budget allows after essentials and a small emergency cushion. Even $50–$100 extra a month noticeably speeds things up.
Yes — pay every minimum to avoid late fees and credit damage, then throw your extra at one target debt at a time.
See how regular contributions and compound interest grow your money over time.
Assumes monthly compounding and a steady return. Investment returns are never guaranteed; a savings-account rate is more predictable than a market return.
For an emergency fund in a high-yield savings account, use the current savings rate (check your bank). For long-term investing, use the Investing calculator with a market-style return.
It's earning interest on your interest. Over years, it's the reason small, steady contributions snowball into a large balance.
Hugely. Starting even a few years sooner can mean tens of thousands more at the end, because the money compounds for longer.
Project what regular investing could become over time — and what it's worth in today's dollars.
Investment returns are never guaranteed and vary year to year; the long-run U.S. stock market has historically averaged roughly 7% a year after inflation, but your results will differ. For education, not investment advice.
The long-run U.S. stock market has averaged roughly 7% a year after inflation, but any single year can swing sharply up or down. Use a conservative number and expect bumps along the way.
Because inflation erodes buying power. A million dollars in 30 years won't buy what a million buys today, so the today's-dollars figure is a more honest picture of what you'll really have.
No — it's an educational projection. Your real results depend on what you invest in and how markets perform. For personal guidance, consider a licensed advisor.
Find out whether you're capturing every dollar of your employer's match — the easiest return in investing.
The 2026 employee contribution limit is $24,500 (plus catch-up contributions at 50+). This tool flags if you're below the full match or above the limit.
A common one is 50% of your contributions up to 6% of pay, or 100% up to 3–5%. Enter your plan's formula above to see yours.
At least enough to get the full match — that's free money — and many people work toward 10–15% of income over time.
$24,500 for employees, plus an $8,000 catch-up at 50 and older, and a larger $11,250 catch-up at ages 60–63.
A simple starting framework: 50% needs, 30% wants, 20% savings and debt payoff.
A guideline, not a rule. If your needs run above 50% (common in high-cost areas), adjust the mix to fit your life — the point is to give every dollar a job.
Needs are essentials you can't skip — housing, groceries, utilities, insurance, minimum debt payments. Wants are everything else — dining out, subscriptions, travel.
Common in high-cost areas. Adjust the ratios to fit reality; the goal is to give every dollar a job, not to hit the exact percentages.
Minimum payments count as a need; extra payoff comes out of the 20% savings-and-debt slice.
Translate an hourly wage into an annual salary, or the other way around.
Based on gross pay before taxes. For take-home pay, use the Paycheck calculator.
Hourly to salary multiplies your rate by hours per week and weeks per year (usually 52). Salary to hourly does the reverse.
Before taxes — it's gross pay. For your actual take-home, use the Paycheck calculator.
Adjust the hours-per-week and weeks-per-year fields to match your real schedule, including any unpaid time off.
Find your target cushion and how long it'll take to get there.
Count only essentials — rent, food, utilities, minimum payments. Keep the fund in a high-yield savings account so it earns while it waits.
Three to six months of essential expenses is the common target — lean toward three with steady income, six if your income is variable or you're the only earner.
In a high-yield savings account: safe, FDIC-insured, instantly reachable, and earning real interest while it waits.
Save a small $500–$1,000 starter cushion first, then attack high-interest debt, then come back and finish building the full fund.
Take the 2-minute Money Check and we'll tell you the three smartest things to do with your money right now — in order.
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